Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess

Meredith's father was supposed to serve nine years in jail for raping her and several other children in their community. Unfortunately, her father is now out on parole after only serving three years. Meredith's mother is anxious to have her family be whole again, completely ignoring Meredith's desires to have nothing to do with her abusive father. Meredith knows that it is only time before her father is up to his old tricks again and with the help of a retired cop devises a plan to put her father back in jail where he belongs.Meredith's voice is hauntingly realistic and is goes through events in both the present and the past. Her decision to become the sacrificial lamb in order to prevent other innocent children from being victimized by her father shows immense courage and inner strength. Both parents are wholly unlikeable but Meredith finds support from her grandmother, a retired police officer, her boyfriend, Andy, who was also a victim of her father's, and his mother. The story races towards the inevitable confrontation between Meredith and her father, and everything wraps up neat and clean at the end.

The Redheaded Princess by Ann Rinaldi

As a child, Elizabeth was all too aware that her life hinged on the mood of her father, and following his death, the mood of those in power. The daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boylen grew up believing that one day she would be Queen, despite the fact that she was third in her father's line of succession. Rinaldi examines young Elizabeth's life from the age of nine through her coronation as Queen. Elizabeth is an astute and intelligent young woman, wise beyond her years. Even as a young girl, she surrounds herself with valuable tutors, advisors, and friends who are extremely loyal to her. She keeps her wits about her as she is arrested as a traitor, which literally keeps her head attached to her neck. As always, Rinaldi has created a beautifully crafted historical fiction tale that really puts readers into the sixteenth century. She clearly portrays the power struggles, religious conflicts, and emotional turmoil that Elizabeth faced. Rinaldi includes a short bibliography and an author's note that explains her interest in Elizabeth's life. The author's note, however, does not explain how much of Rinaldi's story is taken from historical record and how much is simply story.

Go Figure by Jo Edwards

Ryan began to get fat in fifth grade after her brother was diagnosed with lukemia and has been a fat girl ever since. Seven years later, 5'1" Ryan weighs in at 206 pounds and is completely obsessed with her weight. She measures everything- every relationship, every goal- by how much her fat interferes. Ryan's life is far from where she wants it to be, her BFFF (best fat friends forever) is in California at her father's house leaving her to face senior year without her, her brother, while in remission, has become a pot-head bum, and she's currently single, while Noah, her ex-boyfriend has become a huge pop star that is currently gracing the cover of Rolling Stone, and writing songs about Ryan that make her look like a suicidal, food obsessed freak. Things start to look up when she is accepted into an exclusive photography summer program taught by a world renowned photographer and discovers that her old best friend and next door neighbor Josh is in the class and they begin to reconnect.

Ryan is a strong-minded and very likeable character and teenage girls will connect with her and her insecurities. Her obsession with all things related to her weight is taken to a bit of an extreme, but this reader is certain that most teen girls will understand where Ryan is coming from, even if at times they want to shake her silly. Ryan is very aware of the psychological aspects behind her weight and though at first reluctant, finally begins to address them with the help of her psychiatrist. The story is standard chick lit fair but has enough of a problem to drawn in those looking for more than just a predictable, light-hearted quick read. Everything is resolved and wrapped up neatly by the end and Ryan is on her way to becoming confident and happy the way she is.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Two weeks after Hannah Baker killed herself, Clay comes home to find a package addressed to him containing seven numbered cassette tapes. When Clay plays the tapes the voice of Hannah Baker informs him that he is one of the reasons that she died. Seven tapes with thirteen sides to the story and to figure out his part in it, he'll have to listen to it all.
Asher has written a novel that packs an emotional punch. The story is told through the alternatingly voices of Hannah and her narrative on the cassette tapes and Clay as he reacts to what he hears. Like Clay, readers will be immediately drawn into Hannah's story, not wanting to stop until they have heard every twisted detail that could explain her life-ending decision. Readers will feel each and every betrayal and emotionally react to all of Hannah's secrets. This is one of those books that keeps you thinking long after you've finished reading. It presents a clear message on how actions can impact others, but does so without being preachy. It does not gloss over the harsh parts of high school life and includes sex, partying, and rape but not graphically. Jay Asher's debut novel is a must read and is one that will appeal to adults as well as teens. An aside- I was disappointed that there was no post-information on the identifying the signs of a suicidal person, or any suicide hotline phone numbers as it was mentioned repeatedly in the story that people missed the signs prior to Hannah's suicide.

Revenge of the Cheerleaders by Janette Rallison

Chelsea cannot stand her younger sister Adrian's rock star boyfriend, Rick. Rick has devoted his entire new cd to songs that make fun of Chelsea and her cheerleading squad. When Rick sabotages their performance at a school pep rally by replacing their music with an anti-school song, Chelsea becomes determined to get revenge by beating him at the national High School Idol auditions. Along the way, she meets Tanner, a cute college boy, and becomes smitten but their relationship becomes rocky when she learns that Tanner is Rick's older brother. Rallison has created another fun, light-hearted, humorous book that is sure to be a hit with fans of teen chick lit and romantic comedies. The dynamic between Chelsea and Adrian is realistic as is the relationship between Tanner and Rick. Fans of Rallison's All's Fair in Love, War, and High School will recognize familiar characters.

Hex Education by Emily Gould and Zareen Jaffery

Sophie Stone is not happy when her father, the famous horror film director, decides to move the family from L.A. to the small town of Mystic Massachusetts where he grew up. Mystic has a long history of witchcraft and the occult, none of which remotely interest Sophie, who tries to distance herself from her father's passion for horror any way she can. Sophie is less than thrilled to learn that she and her new friends are the newest incarnation of the famous Mystic witches and they must learn quickly because they have to discover the bad witch in their community and destroy him or her before it is too late.Hex Education is a fun light-hearted, humorous tale perfect for girls who like chick lit or lighthearted supernatural tales. A fairly predictable plot with just the right amount of drama and a cute cover is sure to attract teen girls.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Miranda's typical teenage life drastically changes after an asteriod collides with the moon and shoves it off it's axis. The change in the moon's graviational pull causes devastating natural disasters- tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic erruptions, and horrible blizzards. Things that Miranda has taken for granted her entire life- electricity, gasoline, heat, and even food are in short supply. Luckily for Miranda and her family, her mom had the foresight to stock pile supplies and prepare their house in the event that things got worse so Miranda is a lot luckier than most of the people in her town. As she struggles to survive, Miranda finds sollace in her journals and the thought that she is leaving something behind to say "I was here."

Pfeffer packs a punch in her post-apocalyptic tale that will put readers on the edge of their seats and hold them there throughout the story. It would be impossible to read this book and not think about the likelihood of a disaster of this magnitude happening. Miranda is an honest and fresh narrator and readers will enjoy her transformation from a spoiled selfish girl to a brave, strong, and selfless young woman. The death and voilence are kept outside the central story, however, the threat is always present and only adds to the suspense of the story. Readers will be instantly hooked and desperate to find out if Miranda and her family survive. Readers will eagerly await the publication of its companion novel, the Dead and the Gone, which is scheduled for release in June 2008.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess, and her best friend Rose, a Dhampir have been found by the Guardians and forcibly returned to St. Vladimir's Academy. As a mortal Moroi, Lissa is highly coveted by the Strigoi, the evil immortal vampires, the race that Dhampirs like Rose train to fight as Guardians. Lissa and Rose have a remarkable bond, and Lissa's power is so rare in the history of Moroi that it has largely been forgotten. Rose is determined to protect Lissa at all costs, only first she needs to figure out who and what she is fighting. The first installment in this new Vampire series is full of action, suspense, romance, and teen angst that will keep readers engaged and involved in the story. A well developed cast of characters with interesting stories capture the attention of readers. A perfect new series for mature fans of vampire novels- they will devour this and immediately begin clamouring for its sequel Frostbite.

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

After Cyd Charisse is expelled from her boarding school, she returns to California to live with her mother, step-father, and sibilings. When she falls in love with Shrimp and starts getting into trouble again Cyd finds herself sent to New York to live with her biological father, a man she has only met once in her life. Her father disappointed her, but Cyd gets to know her father's other children and learns even more about herself. Cyd is a quirky girl who will connect with many teen readers. With a strong voice and refreshing honesty, Cyd narrates the emotional wringer that is her life and readers will keep coming back for more.

Wrecked by E.R. Frank

Anna decides to drive home after a party even though she has been drinking (but is not drunk) and on the way home is involved in an accident that seriously injures her best friend and kills her brother's girlfriend. Anna clearly remembers Cameron's screams and the silence at her moment of death. As she struggles to overcome her guilt and her post-traumatic stress that causes terrible nightmare, Anna finds herself in therapy where she relives not only the accident but other memories from her childhood. The constantly flowing between present and past is not as smooth as it could have been. Long passages of Anna's visualization therapy is dry. However, the storyline and characters are interesting enough to overcome the storytelling faults.

Forged in the Fire by Ann Turnbull

Susanna and Will have been apart for three years and both are anxiously awaiting the time when they will be reunited and joined in matrimony. Unfortunately, just as Will is about to rejoin Susanna, the plague breaks out and Will is unable to leave London. When Susanna does not hear from Will, she sets out to London to find him herself. After they are finally married, the newly weds have to face the fires that destroyed London in 1666, including their new home. A beautifully crafted tale that blends history and romance and makes seventeenth century London come to life. Readers who enjoyed the first installment of Will and Susanna's story (No Shame, No Fear) will not be disappointed in the sequel. Will and Susanna are strong in their Quaker faith and their love as they continue to struggle in the face of religious persecution and fight the harsh realities of life in London.

Love Undercover by Jo Edwards

Kaitlyn's mother has recently begun writing a sex advice column for a local newspaper and Kaitlyn is modified and wonders why her mom can't have a low key job like her father, an undercover FBI agent. Kaitlyn's life changes when her father brings his work home with him in the form of seventeen-year-old Blaine, who is part of the Witness Protection Program. Suddenly Kaitlyn finds herself having to become a superspy because not only does she have to keep Blaine's real identity a secret, she also has to keep her eyes open for anyone showing an unnatural interest in him. Blaine and Kaitlyn immediately hit it off, but Blaine is posing as her cousin and that complicates things. Another cute addition to the Simon Romantic Comedies series. Edwards has created a light-hearted, humorous, yet highly unlikely senario that will keep reader's engaged to the end.

Forever by Judy Blume

High school seniors, Katherine and Michael know that their love will last forever, so it's only natural to them that their relationship include sex. Kathy's candid narration of her first experiences with sex is full of raw emotion and honesty. When their families realizing how intense the relationship has become seperate the pair for the summer, Katherine discovers that her first love just might not be her only love. Blume's highly controversal novel has been recently re-released with an updated cover that is sure to appear to today's teens. Blume never preaches but she emphasizes the importance of safe sex in terms of both pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

The Poker Diaries by Liza Conrad

Fifteen-year-old Lulu bounces back and forth between the high society life of her mother and the illicit world of her gambling father. When Lulu's uptown friend Dack loses more than he can afford to lose at a poker game, she finds herself entering a high stakes game to win it back. After Lulu's mother announces her engagement to the Mayor of New York City, the stakes in this not-quite-legal game increase after Lulu is blackmailed into playing in a high-stakes, definitely illegal that could cost Lulu more than she is prepared to lose. An interesting novel for fans of poker with some important rules for gambling- such as rule #2- "don't bet what you can't afford to lose". Lulu is a likeable narrator who is content in her life flowing between uptown and downtown. She only wants to do what is right but finds herself quickly in over her head.