Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini ~Fantasy Genre~

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Angelini, Josephine. Starcrossed. New York: HarperTeen, 2011. Print.
Hardback, $17.99, ISBN: 978-0-06-201199-2

Annotation
The beautiful and shy Helen discovers that she is a demi-god and so is new student Lucas.  Follow Lucas and Helen as they try to deny each other.

Booktalk
Helen is tall, beautiful, blonde, and has trouble being the center of attention.  When Helen meets Lucas, she automatically hates him and wants to attack him. Lucas and Helen's fates were sealed years before they were born.  There are descendants of the gods and the descendants from different houses need to destroy the other.  Lucas and Helen form feelings for each other, but discover they cannot be together of they would destroy the world. Helen gets her ancestry from her mother, who she never knew. Who is Helen's mother? and can she ever be with Lucas?

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani ~Fantasy Genre~

Image from Heather Childs

Chainani, Soman. The School for Good and Evil. New York: Harper, 2013. Print.
Hardback, $16.99, ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2

Annotation
Sophie and Agatha are the best of friends and they are both taken to the school for good and evil.  Sophie and Agatha wish to escape and return home.

Booktalk
This is the tale of Agatha and Sophie, two friends, one is good and one is evil.  Agatha and Sophie are whisked away to The School for Good and Evil.  Agatha is placed in the school for good and Sophie into the school for evil.  Both girls and the other students believe that Agatha and Sophie have been placed at the wrong schools.  Through many trials they discover that all they want is to go home and be friends forever, not enemies.  Can Agatha and Sophie escape The School for Good and Evil?

Teen Quote
"Yes, I like to read.  I read maybe, 4 times a week, once I get started I'll read for hours.  I like fiction which includes: mystery, romance, and fantasy.  My favorite books are The Luckiest Girl in the World and Breaking Dawn.  I use twitter and instagram." ~Tiffany, age 17

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck ~Fantasy Genre~

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Houck, Colleen.  Tiger's Curse. New York: Splinter, 2011. Print.
Paperback, $9.95, ISBN: 978-1-4549-0249-2

Annotation
Kelsey gets a summer job working at the circus where she meets a tiger who is really a Indian prince.  Kelsey and the tiger travel to India to break his curse.

Booktalk
Kelsey accepts a job working for Circus Marurizio helping take care of the animals and sell tickets.  Ren is a 300 year old Indian prince cursed into being a tiger.  Ren just happens to be the tiger at Circus Marurizio.  Kelsey forms a bond with Ren, the tiger, never knowing that he is actually a handsome prince.  Kelsey is taken to India under false pretenses where she finds out she must help Ren break his curse.  They travel all around India looking for clues.  One of the things they must do is face their greatest fears in the Kishkindha caves.  Kelsey comments on seeing an illusion of Ren,

"I was indignant.  This was too much! It was so awful to see someone I cared about broken down into nothing that I became furious. Someone or something was playing games with us, and I hated it. What was worse was knowing that the same things were happening to Ren somewhere in these tunnels. Who knew how they were representing me!" (pg. 295).

Will Kelsey and Ren break the curse? and what happens when Ren's brother enters the picture?

Awards

~A New York Times Bestseller
~A USA Today Bestseller
~A Publisher's Weekly Bestseller
~A Parents' Choice Award Winner

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare ~Fantasy Genre~

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Clare, Cassandra. City of Heavenly Fire. New York: Simon Pulse, 2014. Print.
Hardcover, $24.99, ISBN: 978-1-4424-1689-5

Annotation
Continue the journey with Clary and her friends as they continue the fight against their greatest enemy Sebastian.  Loved ones are lost and betrayal reigns.

Booktalk
In the final book of the Mortal Instruments series everything comes to an.... epic conclusion?

Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and Alec must fight Sebastian to save their homes and the fate of the Shadowhunters.  Sebastian is turning Shadowhunters into the Endarkened.  The Endarkened are soulless versions of Shadowhunters that cannot be healed, only killed.  Clary and her friends enlist the help of the Shadowhunter world, Magnus (a warlock), werewolves, vampires, and fairies.  Can they save their friends and families before they are turned into the Endarkened?

Find out in this novel that spans all three Shadowhunter series and prepares the reader for Lady Midnight coming March 2015.

Teen Quote
"Yes, I like to read and yes, I like fantasy.  I prefer romance.  One of my favorite books is Born if Fury.  I read about 1-2 hours a day and I use facebook." ~Caelynn, age 18

Pantomime by Laura Lam ~Fantasy Genre~

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Lam, Laura. Pantomime. New York: Strange Chemistry, 2013. Print.
Paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-1-908844-37-8

Annotation
Micah runs away from his noble family and joins the circus.  Micah is more then he appears and those he loves will suffer for his deception. 

Booktalk
Micah, previously known as Gene, is a circus performer who ran away from his noble family.  Micah was born a hermaphrodite and when he learns that his adopted parents are planning to have him turned into a girl permanently, he runs away from home.  Micah hides among the circus performers pretending to be 100% boy and falls in love with Aenea.  Micah struggles with whether to tell Aenea about his true identity and sex.

"Her lips moved toward mine, and for a moment panic thrummed through me.  Every bit of me wanted to kiss her, but would I be a girl kissing her, or a boy?  And it was dishonest to let her kiss me, without telling her what I was" (pg. 193 - 194).

Micah is discovered for who he really is and is forced to run for his life, after a run-in with the ring master.  Who or what is Micah... really? and what will he do once he runs from the circus?

Awards


~Nominated for the 2014 British Fantasy Society Best Newcomer Award
~Winner of the 2014 Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction
~Scottish Book Trust Teens Book of the Month May 2014
~Top Ten Title for the 2014 ALA Rainbow List
~Shortlisted for the 2014 NE Teen Book Award
~Nominated for the 2014 ALA Popular Paperbacks List in the GLBTQ category
~Nominated for the 2014 Cybils Award~Longlisted for the 2014 Catalyst Book Award

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly ~Fantasy Genre~

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Donnelly, Jennifer. Deep Blue. New York: Disney Hyperion, 2014. Print.
Hardback, $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-4231-3316-2

Annotation
Seraphina is a mermaid princess of the land of Miromara.  She and five other mermaids must join together to save the ocean from a malevolent force.

Booktalk
Seraphina is a mermaid and heir to the throne of Miromara.  On the eve of her acceptance ceremony her home is attacked and she is forced to flee her home, not knowing whether her parents are alive or dead. Seraphina discovers that there is a great evil set to destroy the Realms of Mer. Seraphina along with five other mermaids are the chosen six who are fated to save the realms.  What will happen to Seraphina and her friends in the Deep Blue?

Teen Quote
"Yes, I like to read and I read almost everyday about 3 hours each night.  Yes, I like fantasy and horror and non-fiction.  My favorite books include, The Coven and Gone with the Wind.  I use facebook and instagram." ~Shannon, age 18

Sword Art Online (SAO) Aincrad by Reki Kawahara ~Graphic Novel/Manga Genre~

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Nakamura, Tamako, Reki Kawahara, and abec. Sword Art Online Aincrad. Trans. Stephen Paul. New York: Yen Press, 2014. Print.

Paperback, $20.00, ISBN: 978-0-316-0-37123-0

Annotation
Kirito and Asuna must reach the hundredth floor in the vrmmorpg Sword Art Online.  If the players die in the game they die in real life.

Booktalk
In the year 2022, the first Virtual Reality Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Game is released.  A total of 10,000 players log in on the launch day and are stuck in the game facing the fact that if they die in the game they die in real life.  Kirito is one of the strongest SAO players along with fellow player Asuna.  Together Kirito and Asuna must help defeat the final boss on the hundredth floor of Aincrad.  This is a manga which is read from right to left [open manga].  All of the artwork is detailed and in black and white.  There is action, romance, and death [start flipping through pages].  Travel with Kirito and Asuna as they try to free themselves and everyone else from SAO.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang ~Multicultural Genre~

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Yang, Gene Luen, and Pien, Lark. American Born Chinese. New York: Square Fish, 2006. Print.

Paperback, $9.99, ISBN: 978-0-312-38448-7

Annotation
Three individuals must learn to accept themselves for who they really are.

Booktalk
American Born Chinese follows the struggles of two individuals trying to fit in with everyone else.  The Monkey King wants to be recognized as a deity and be accepted for his god-like qualities.  Jin is an American Chinese student who wants non-asian girls to like him.  This is a colored graphic novel [open book and flip through the pages for the rest of the booktalk].  Every page has a square picture or a square worth of panels.  The story jumps between three interwoven stories that are merged at the end of the graphic novel.  In the end, the characters realize that you should stay true to ones self.

Awards

~Winner of the Michael L. Printz Awards

~National Book Award Finalist

~Booklist Top Ten Graphic Novel for Youth
~NPR Holiday Pick
~Publisher's Weekly Comics Week Best Comic of the Year
~San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
~The Reuben Award for Best Comic Book
~The Chinese American Librarians Association 2006/2007 Best Book Award
~Eisner Awards 2007 - Best Graphic Album - New
~Time Magazine Top Ten Comic of the Year
~Amazon.com Best Graphic Novel/Comic of the Year

Way Too Much Drama by Earl Sewell ~Street Lit Genre~

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Sewell, Earl. Way Too Much Drama. U.S.A: Harlequin Kimani Tru, 2013. Print.

Paperback, $9.99, ISBN-13: 978-0-373-53468-5

Annotation
Maya and her cousin Viviana need to stop the drama and mend their broken relationship.

Booktalk
Viviana and Maya are cousins who are at war with each other.  Viviana broke up Maya and Misalo's relationship, because Maya turned in Viviana's father for murder and he was killed while in jail.  The cousins disrespect each other in numerous ways, they constantly are belittling and putting each other down, and they put itching powder into each other's bras, bedsheets, and toiletries. On page 119, Viviana can't stand the itching any longer.

"Fifteen minutes into my math class, my boobs, neck and face were on fire.  I could not stop scratching myself.  The more I scratched, the more I itched. I felt as if there were a million microscopic ticks attacking me".

These antics continue throughout the book. Viviana becomes friends with LaShaunda who used to live on the streets and is very rough.  Viviana gets in trouble for having stolen goods and runs away with LaShaunda.  After Viviana returns home the cousins realize that their feud has gotten out of control and they need to remember they are family and need to look out for each other.  Family is very important and accepting truth is enlightening.

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han ~Chick Lit Genre~

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Han, Jenny. We'll Always Have Summer.  New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print.

Hardcover, $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-4169-9558-6

Annotation
Belly is in love with two brothers, and she must choose the one she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

Booktalk
We'll Always Have Summer is the last book of the The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy.  
Belly has been in love with two boys her whole life, Conrad and Jeremiah, two brothers she has grown up with.  Conrad turned Belly down and broke her heart and Jeremiah swooped in and put her heart back together.  Belly and Jeremiah have a very simple and romantic relationship that leads to an engagement.

"Taylor's eyes turned huge. 'You're effing kidding me.  You're engaged?!' she screamed.  A couple of people turned around and looked at us, annoyed.  I shrank down in my seat a little.  Grabbing my hand, she said, 'Oh my God! Let me see that thing!'"

Belly is not sure about here engagement to Jeremiah, because she is still pining after Conrad.  Read We'll Always Have Summer to find out who Belly ends up with.

Defiance by C.J. Redwine ~Fantasy Genre~

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Redwine, C. J. Defiance. New York, NY. Balzer + Bray. 2012. Print.

$17.99, Hardcover, ISBN: 978-0-06-211718-2

Annotation
Rachel's father is declared dead after his fails to return from a mission.  Rachel believes he is still alive and sets off on a journey to find him.

Booktalk
What is the price of Defiance?

Set in a world where "the Cursed Ones" roam the wild and women are required to be protected and escorted by a man, a fiery red head named Rachel is determined to find her missing father.  Logan is the apprentice to Rachel's father and a ingenious inventor, who also wants to find Rachel's missing father.  Together Rachel and Logan begin a journey that is wrought with pain, death, revenge, and betrayal.  The Commander is an evil man who seeks a missing package that was in the care of Rachel's father.  What will happen to Rachel and those she loves, because of her Defiance?

Teen Quote

"I hate reading! I did enjoy one book called Dolphin Tale that I liked." ~Lexie, age 17