Dream Girl by S. J. Lomas

This is a richly imagined fantasy novel for teens.  The dual narration gives the reader answers to questions that arise when reading a first-person point of view, and also gives insight to each protagonist. 

The characters leave a bit to be desired, I think.  They're a bit too flat, though they are written well.  The dialog is stilted and formal at times, too.  Given those issues, though, I did like this story. 
Christine and Gabriel give the reader two sides of a story that makes a couple of turns that the reader can't see coming.  I will definitely be watching out for a sequel. 

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Kacey is just trying to make a life for herself and her sister.  She takes any job she can find, protects her sister at all cost, and never takes anything for her own.  Until she meets Trent.  He understands her like no one ever has before.  He gives her hope that she can return to the person she used to be, before her entire life shattered.

This is a powerful novel of love and loss.  The characters are so well developed they seem to jump off the page.  I laughed aloud in several places, and was in danger of crying in others.
I'm looking forward to the sequel, starring Kacey's sister, Livvie. 

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer

A look into the lives of those forced into reality television, this book will have you laughing, cringing, and tapping frantically on your dictionary app. 

Ethan is a great narrator, giving the reader a no-holds-barred look into a teenage artist's life.  He presents his friendships, crushes, confusion, and rebellion with an honesty that will keep you rooting for his success throughout the entire story. 

This is a good one for guys and girls alike, even though the protagonist voice is male.  We've all been in situations where we realize that our friends might not be the people we thought they were, and our relationships might have different meanings to each of us.  Would you sacrifice everything for your friends?  Would they do the same for you?  Ethan, Elizabeth, and Jackson all have a chance to find out for sure.

Full of humor, wit, and guerilla poetry (not to mention awesome vocab words with which to impress your friends), this is a must-read.

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

I am once again slightly disappointed by Sittenfeld's storytelling.  She weaves an intricately layered plot, taking the reader back and forth between the past and present for Kate Tucker. Sittenfeld has again created excellent characters, and done a wonderful job of illustrating the relationships among them, in all their variations of friendship, romance, and sibling rivalry.

 The story falls flat for me, though.  There is a huge amount of buildup surrouding the prediction of a catastrophic earthquake made by Violet, Kate's sister.  There is a crazy level of explanation of how Kate used and then discarded her own psychic senses.  Yes, Kate suffers through a personal earthquake, but it's one of her own making.  There is such intensity leading up to it that I felt let down by Kate's irrational choices. 

When the earthquake finally does happen, it's almost an afterthought. 
Kate doesn't really have to deal with the consequences of her choices, either.  Realistically, I know that things happen the way they did in the book.  I didn't get the feeling that Kate took the opportunity to really grow from her experience.  She didn't even delve into how she'd deal with it if any of her kids showed signs of having inherited her senses. 


 I found the ending to be tedious, thus making the rest of it almost pointless. I won't be reading this again, let alone purchasing it for my own collection.  I do, however, know others who will like it and will pass the title on to them.  

The Hanging Judge by Michael Ponsor

This is an intense story from the first page.  There is everything in this book: murder, suspense, romance, and a deep look into the United States justice system.  I do have a couple of issues with the story, however. 

The inclusion of the story of the unfair trial and execution of two men in 1806 interrupts the flow, overall.  It was interesting, especially the quotes from surviving documentation, but I think it would have worked better for me if it were left until the conclusion of the book.

At times, this was also a pretty deep story through which to wade.  I read the author's note at the beginning and I understand he's a judge, but there was a lot of detail.  It made it a little more difficult for me to get through the book at times. 

Those things aside, this is an excellent book.  The writing is good, the dialogue is realistic, the characters are developed well.  There were plot changes I didn't expect, the narrators couldn't always be trusted to tell the reader what was really going on, and it was steeped in a cloud of uncertainty that had me wondering what would happen until the very last minute.

Sekret (Sekret #1) by Lindsay Smith

Yulia doesn't know how she came by her gift, she only knows she can use it to her advantage when selling goods on the black market in the USSR.  She's a fantastic protagonist, telling us of her troubles and how she tries to fix them. 

This is a colorful cast of characters, ranging from a wanna-be dictator with rage issues, to the hot Russian boy with the ability to see places remotely and a dream to play professional hockey, to the girl who can see all the possible futures and help or hinder everyone, to the man who has a power so strong he could control the entire world seemingly without effort.

Sekret poses an interesting idea based in historical fact- if the psychics consulted, recruited, and used as spies during the Cold War really had the abilities to read minds, remote locations, and tell the future.  Not to mention what side they would choose when the time came.  It also gives the reader an opportunity to see that in times of duress, there might not be anyone you can truly trust- even yourself. 

Sekret is captivating from beginning to end, leaving this reader wanting to know more.