I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff

 This intense story begins with a nameless boy who excels at his job.  He doesn't try to hide how good he is from readers, and he isn't coy about his skills.  He knows what he has to do, and he does it well.

Because of his training, Ben, as the reader comes to know him, keeps his distance from everyone.  There are multiple background characters essential to the progression of the plot, but just when Ben and readers come to predict those people, things change again.  This not only proves Ben's thoughts that no one can be trusted, but it keeps the true events of the book hidden until the last moment.

Almost as succinct as Hemingway in writing style, I Am the Weapon is full of heart-stopping action, devious plans, and will keep readers guessing until the very end.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson

Kiss of Deception is a story of fierce determination and fighting for a dream.  Lia, Kaden, and Rafe make intriguing protagonists with revolving points of view who give readers insight to everyone's thoughts, goals, and motivations. 

These three main characters are strong, and the alternation viewpoints illustrate how each one evolves and drives the plot ever forward.  This was an instance when I was sure a sequel was coming and I didn't have any reservations about wanting to read it.  I was mildly confused about the sudden inclusion of Pauline's first person narrative because it only lasted for one chapter, but it had relevance to the plot and I think it will have an effect on the way the story progresses in the next book. The rest of the characters are also strong, no matter how small their roles.  Whether you hate the Chancellor and the Scholar or love Lia's brother's, each person is memorable.  

I will have to say that it drove me absolutely bloody crazy that, even though I knew one guy was the prince from whom Lia was running and one was the assassin sent to kill her in her sleep, I had no idea which one was which until about a third of the way through the story.  I had a good guess as to the identity of each, but I would question myself occasionally.  I will also have to admit that I liked that I didn't know for sure, that Pearson kept me guessing for a while.

I would have also liked to know a little more about Lia's gift.  She's certain she doesn't have one at all because it's never made itself known to her before she's seventeen. Other women in the story have the gift, too, though, and there's not a lot they have to say about it either.  I found this a little frustrating, to be honest, but as the mysteries unraveled, I felt more confident that more information would be provided.  Maybe it wasn't in this book, but I'm okay with waiting for it. 

The Kiss of Deception is definitely one I would purchase and I'm really looking forward to reading the next installment of Lia's story. 

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Dead Beautiful in an interesting twist on the teen paranormal romance story.  Renee is a strong protagonist, who isn't afraid to speak her mind, even if she gets into trouble as a result.  Dante Berlin is the ideal candidate for a mysterious suitor- he's cold to the touch, he literally makes Renee go dizzy with contact, and he won't open up too much about his past.

Things are, of course, not entirely what they seem at Gottfried Academy.  I'm still not entirely sure why it took 400 pages to get to the meat of the story, though.  None of the characters are as developed as Renee, and nothing is really revealed about any of the rest of the cast.  Don't get me wrong- I liked Renee and Dante a lot.  I just didn't really get anything from most of the other characters. 

It was nice to have gotten a little time between the meeting of Renee and Dante before they realized they were in love.  Months went by while they spent time together, studying and getting to know each other.  Sure, there was that giant secret that Dante was keeping.  Yes, there was a lot of mystery surrounding some of the other students.  But there also wasn't the gag-worthy effect of being in love without having spent any time together at all.  Too often there is what I've seen referred to as "insta-love," which is kind of a buzzkill for some of us. 

What I really disliked, though, was the lack of explanation.  Even when Renee is discovering what's really going on behind the scenes with Dante and the entire academy, there isn't enough explanation to satisfy my curiosity.  I'd really like to know more about Renee's inherited talents. I'd like to know more about who was causing all the trouble at the school and what happened as a result.  I'd like to know more about how the teachers came to be where they were in the story.  I'd like to know more about Renee's grandfather (and Dustin, for that matter) and what it is that he does when he's away on "business."  There must be a sequel to this book, given the ending, and I intend to read it. 

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.

Preservation (Preservation #1) by Rachael Wade

As a reader who enjoys the romance genre, Preservation didn't let me down.  This is a great story of two people who never seem to get it right who finally get as close to perfect as you can. 

Kate is a great narrator, letting the reader in on her thoughts, her reasoning, and the way she buries her emotions until she can hide from them.  She never fails to acknowledge the tenuous situations in which she finds herself, such as her male friends having crushes on her, and finds a way to pull herself through while maintaining her sense of self-preservation.

Ryan is the perfect opposite of Kate.  Rather than shut out his every feeling until he convinces himself he no longer has them, he takes them over, manipulating them until he is in control of them. 
Both have made mistakes, both have given everything before and been badly burned, both of them know how to avoid the same situations.  Neither of them can ignore their feelings any longer- they have to let their emotions control them or risk losing them altogether.

Kate's narration is bookended by stories from Ryan's point of view.  This gives the reader awesome insight to what the other protagonist is really thinking, and provides a different perspective on some of the same scenes from the book. 

I can't speak for everyone, of course, but I think this has the makings of a great romance series.