Good Girls by Laura Ruby

Audrey Porter is a good girl, smart, driven and determined to succeed. She is the last person that people would expect to be hanging out with gorgeous, popular Luke DeSalvio. Audrey is determined to end their party hook-up, friends with benefits status, which she does the night of her friend's Halloween party. Unfortunately, someone snapped an increminating photo of Audrey and Luke in a bedroom at the party and that photo is circulating all around school, someone even went so far as to send the photo to her father. Audrey finds herself labeled a slut and faces constant harrasment from her peers. Good Girls examines teenage sexuality with strong dialog and detailed descriptions of Audrey's sexual exploits and their consequences. Audrey's struggles are heartfelt and honest, her voice realistic and powerful. A surprising confession reveals the true culprit behind the photo, and Audrey's quick forgiveness seems unreal. A novel that older teen girls will enjoy.

Hearts of Stone by Kathleen Ernst

The Civil War has dramatically changed life for Hannah and her three siblings. Her father leaves home to fight for the Union, the family faces constant attacks from Bushwhackers, and politics has created an irreperable rift between herself and her best friend Ben. Hannah, Jasper, Mary and Maude are left orphans after their father is killed in the war and their mother dies suddenly. When well-meaning neighbors decide to split the siblings up, Hannah decides to take them to Nashville where they will live with their Aunt. The journey to Nashville takes longer than Hannah expects and they arrive only to learn their Aunt is also dead. Hannah struggles to keep her family together and prevent them from freezing or starving to death. Hannah is a spunky and determined young woman who will connnect with many teen girls. Her coming-of-age story will capture the hearts of fans of historical fiction. A story full of drama and tragedy with a cast of well-developed and interesting teens forced to become responsible adults in a world shattered by hatred, violence, and war.

A Summer of Kings by Han Nolan

Fourteen-year-old Esther Young is determined to have a memorable summer full of adventure and she plans on accomplishing this by pursuing a relationship with eighteen-year-old King-Roy Johnson, a black teen who has come to live with her family after being accused in the murder of a white man in Alabama. King-Roy and Esther bond but as King-Roy becomes increasingly involved in the Nation of Islam and the teaching of Malcolm X he becomes increasingly angry and pushes Esther away. To counter King-Roy's anger, Esther begins to read Ghandi and takes his "be the change you want to see in the world" message to heart. Esther sets out to change her life, her family, and make a difference to King-Roy. A Summer of Kings is a powerful novel of triumph and tragedy. Esther is a likeable narrator whose determination to be the change will inspire many readers. Though well-written and thought-provoking, Nolan brings everything to an almost-too-neat conclusion (albeit not a happy one). Readers will laugh, cry and keep turning pages.

No Shame, No Fear by Ann Turnbull

Life in England is difficult for those of the Quaker faith, something that fifteen-year-old Susanna has experienced personally with her father in prison for refusing to pay church tithes. To help her family, Susanna leaves her small country town to become a servant to another Friend of Truth in neighboring Hemsbury. Things are not any easier in Hemsbury, especially after the Quaker laws are passed, laws that make it treason to not swear an oath of alligence to the King and for the Friends of Truth to hold their meetings. William, the son of a local prosperous businessman, has lived the life of a scholar, always seeking knowledge. In an attempt to understand the Quaker way, he attends Friends of Truth meetings and become convinced in their way of thinking. He and Susanna form a bond that his father seeks to end at all costs. No Shame, No Fear is a beautiful work of historical fiction with an interesting storyline and complex characters. The alternating perspectives between William and Susanna allow readers to see events from multiple perspectives and connect with both characters. Teens will be routing for Susanna and William as they fight to find a way to be together.

It's A Mall World After All by Janette Rallison

Charlotte is not the best perfume saleswoman in the world, but her job at Bloomingdales does have one advantage- it's view of the mall's courtyard. Charlotte can people-watch and pretend she is writing her thesis on the psychology of shopping and what your purchases say about you. Unfortunately, one afternoon Charlotte sees her best friend's boyfriend Bryant and his best friend Colton meeting girls at the mall, neither of whom are Bryant's girlfriend Brianna. Charlotte is outraged at Bryant's behavior and in shock when instead of dumping him, Brianna accuses Charlotte of trying to break them up. Charlotte is determined to discover what Bryant is up to, but her attempts are always disrupted by Colton. Rallison has created another light-hearted, humorous romance. The crazy situations that Charlotte creates combined with her quick wit will make readers laugh out loud.

The Night My Sister Went Missing by Carol Plum-Ucci

It started out as a typical dune party, except someone brought a gun. The gun goes off and Casey Carmody disappears off the side of the pier starting a massive search and rescue operation to locate the missing teen. Her brother Kurt desperate to find her, sits with this best friend Drew in the police station and listens to all the area teens as they give their statements and are questioned by one of the local police officers. What Kurt and Drew overhear reveals a lot about their friends and classmates and unveils one friends devastating secret. Plum-Ucci has created an interesting story, however, it does not live up to its potential. The characters are largely flat and one-dimensional and the pacing of the story moves a bit too slowly. There are enough plot twists to keep readers engaged to the end, especially those who wish to discover the fate of Casey Carmody.