My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, Savannah meets her fair godmother Chrysanthemum (whose grades in Fairy Godmother school were only fair and so she has not passed the apprentice level yet) who grants her three wishes. Unfortunately for Savannah, Chrissy is more focused on shopping than her so when she wishes for her life to be like a fairy tale with a handsome prince waiting for her at the ball and a happily ever after ending, Chrissy turns her into Cinderella and sends her into the middle ages. Savannah’s other wishes also go awry and she finds herself in the middle ages again as Snow White, and again when she is sent back to help Tristan, a boy from her school who Chrissy sends to the middle ages to become a real prince.

Rallison combines themes of sibling rivalry and romance with a twist of magic and fairy tales in this light-hearted, funny story that is certain to appeal to fans of the genre. At first Savannah is obnoxious and whinny, however, she becomes less flighty and immature as she fully realizes the consequences of her wishes- even if Chrissy’s interpretation of them wasn’t what she actually meant. While on the surface it appears to be light-hearted fluff, My Fair Godmother is more than what is seems and well worth the time invested in its reading.

Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter

Cammie is excited to visit her friend Macy in Boston at the political convention where Macy’s father will accept the nomination for vice president. The last thing Cammie expects is to have to use her Gallagher Academy training when they are surrounded by Secret Service Agents but Gllagher girls are taught to always be prepared so when Cammie finds herself without Secret Service Agents in the middle of a kidnapping attempt she springs into action to save her friend. As the school year begins, she finds herself increasingly concerned for Macy’s safety and begins to search for answers that only lead to more secrets.

The third Gallagher Girls novel raises more questions than it answers. As funny and interesting as the previous installments, fans will not be disappointed though they will be left even more confused and anxiously awaiting answers from the next installment.

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Princess Talia Aurora Augusta Ludwiga Wilhelmina Agnes Marie Rose of Euphrasia is tricked into pricking her finger on a spindle and fulfilling a curse that places obscures the entire nation of Euphrasia from the rest of the world and causes everyone to fall asleep until she is awakened by a kiss from her true love. Centuries go by until Jack ditches his European tour group and stumbles upon Euphrasia and is captivated by the beautiful sleeping girl and gives her a kiss. Unwilling to face the wrath of her father when he discovers the truth, Talia flees with Jack from Euphrasia and finds herself in a century in which she does not understand.

Neither Talia nor Jack are truly likeable characters at first, both are self-centered and a tad arrogant. As the story progresses, however, readers slowly begin to see glimpses of the type of people they will become and will begin to root for their success. While there are no surprises is this modernized retelling of Sleeping Beauty, it is certain to be a hit with teen girls, especially fans of Flinn’s Beauty.

Eternal by Cynthia Leitch Smith

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Miranda’s guardian angel, Zachary, has screwed up- big time. After falling in love with his charge, he revealed himself to her in order to save her life. Unfortunately now she has become an eternal, elevated to the rank of Vampire Princess by the current Dracula himself. Zachary finds himself stripped of his angel powers and sent back to earth in order to save her soul. Miranda struggles to adjust to her new royal undead lifestyle, desperate to please her “father” yet incapable of shedding her humanity completely. Without his angelic powers, Zachary struggles in his mission to save Miranda’s soul until he becomes her new personal assistant and is given the opportunity to take down Dracula from the inside.

Leitich Smith returns to the fully-formed world she created in Tantalize with a completely new and separate tale. Zachary and Miranda are both interesting and likeable characters as each struggles with their new burdens. The alternative narrative perspective give both Zach and Miranda a voice and make them each relatable to readers and allow readers to understand the thought process behind their actions. Leitich Smith has invested a lot of thought into the world that she has created, which is evidenced by the long and detailed history and rules of the Eternals. The dark and bloody side of Eternals is balanced with touches of humor and sarcasm in Miranda’s narration. At times bogged down by description, the story maintains a quick pace with plenty of action. Fans will anxiously await the third installment in the works that will connect the two separate tales.

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

It has been seventy-five days since the accident that killed her best friend Julia and Amy is home from the alcohol treatment center where she was sent after the accident. Amy is determined to keep herself isolated from everyone, as she feels Julia is the only person who ever really understood and accepted her. Her shrink wants her to start a diary to help her recovery, but instead Amy writes letters to Julia reminiscing about their adventures together- including shoplifting, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual activities. Slowly people begin to break down the barriers that Amy has put up and as she begins to let them into her life, she begins to come to terms with what really happened the day of the accident and the role that she played in it.

In her grief and pain, Amy is intentionally difficult to like- for both the characters in the book and the readers of it. Amy’s journey through grief, anger, sadness and hope told through honest and fresh narration will captivate many readers. Through her letters, Amy begins to see her friendship with Julia in a new light and comes to understand things about their friendship that she was reluctant to admit to herself. As Amy grows, she begins to come to terms with her self-absorbed parents, finds friends in unexpected places, and recognizes how she has used alcohol and sexual encounters to mask the emptiness she felt. Scott examines a variety of relationship dynamics in a satisfying story that is certain to appeal to fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s realistic fiction, and while it lacks the finesse and polish of an Anderson novel, it will not disappoint readers.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Everyone in Mary’s village lives in fear of the Unconsecrated- the undead creatures who dwell in the forest outside the fences of the village. The constant threats from the Unconsecrated rule life in the village and govern the choices everyone makes. After her mother is bitten by an Unconsecrated, Mary finds that she no longer has options. She must either choose to join the Sisterhood, the religious group of women who run the village, or be cast out to forest to become an Unconsecrated. The more that Mary discovers while living with the Sisterhood, the more she realizes that there is more to the world than she imagined. When a breach forces Mary to flee the village with a small group of friends, she seizes the opportunity to search for where she belongs.

Ryan has created a supernatural science fiction horror story that will keep readers involved and guessing throughout. Mary is a likeable heroin whose honest voice is appealing. Though there are a few plot holes and unanswered questions, Ryan’s tale is certain to be popular with teen readers who will anxiously await a sequel.

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb

Calder is a Fetch- a spirit who escorts souls through the Death Door, down the Aisle, to the Great River where the Captain transports them on to Heaven. For the last three hundred years, Calder has gone about his duties as a Fetch while remaining indifferent to the outcomes of the Death Scenes until he arrives at the death scene of a young boy and is completely taken by the beautiful young woman attending him. Calder mistakenly assumes that the woman is a governess and believes that she has been ordained as his Star Fetch. To reach his Star Fetch, Calder does the unthinkable- he takes possession of a deceased soul’s body instead of guiding the soul to Heaven. It is only after Calder enters Rasputin’s body does he discovers that the woman whom he believes is a governess is actually Empress Alexandra, the boy Prince Alexei.

Whitcomb’s combines fantasy and historical fiction with a hint of romance and strong overtones of Christian themes to create a novel that has an intriguing concept coupled with a stunning cover and is sure to pique the interest of readers. Sadly, the story gets bogged down in the religious aspects and moves at such a slow pace that only select readers will stick with it to the conclusion. Billing the story as a supernatural romance does the novel a disservice as there is very little romance- certainly not enough to appeal to fans of that genre, while those who may appreciate the intricacies of the story might not pick up something labeled a supernatural romance. Whitcomb does a beautiful job setting the scenes and has clearly done her research on the Russian Revolution. The ending sets up a sequel, but only those truly invested in Calder’s journey will clamor for it.

Denied Detained Deported Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration by Ann Bausum

Bausum examines the dark side of the history of American immigration from the holocaust refugees that were turned away, the detainment of Japanese Americans, and the Mexican migrant workers who were exploited. Bausum’s opinion of U.S. immigration policies is made abundantly clear from the very first page. Photographs, a timeline, and an extensive bibliography help round out this well-researched examination of the bleak aspects of American immigration. Though narrow in focus, this book provides interesting parallels to recent immigration policy and is a solid resource for teens doing research papers.