Shiver

It appears to me that this book tries to capitalize on the Twilight craze, what, with its dreamy werewolf and its cute girl who wants nothing more than to be with her wolfie. As much as I disliked Twilight, as least the vampire battles are exciting, whereas in this book, nothing about the werewolf life seems appealing (yes,I think it would be fun to be a vampire).

This book made me yawn more than shiver . . .

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Woohoo! The sequel to Hunger Games! Woohoo!

At first, I thought this sequel was going to be a disappointment; there was initially too much focus on the love story, but then a twist in the plot takes place, sending Cathniss . . . well, I don't want to give it away, but be ready. And the end? I don' know how I will make it to September when the third in the series debuts.

Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore

Who knew I liked Fantasy? Apprently, Kristin Cashore knew it when she wrote these two awesome novels!

Graceling and Fire are part of a series, but they are more companion novels than sequels or prequels. Both have kick-ass girls as the main characters; both have cool and creepy monsters flying around. If you want to give the genre a try, pick up one of these and I think you'll be hooked.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I had a hard time sleeping when I was reading this book. The author of Speak will punch you in the stomach again with this chilling story of an anorexic teen fighting to MAINTAIN her anorexia. Chilling; truly chilling.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeiffer

Love, love, love this book! A completely unique spin on the dystopian novel (my favorite genre -- does that make me weird?) In his case, the moon has been hit by an asteroid, pushing it closer to the Earth. Things go bad quickly, but Miranda and her family hold out hope that somehow things will get better.

I didn't know it until I just loaded the cover, but this is a trilogy. I am running to the library right now to get a copy!

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding

Another hit among my junior students, The Haunting of Alazaibel Cray is a bizzaro mash-up of fantasy, murder mystery, and Victorian literature.

This book takes place in a Jekyll-Hyde-ish Victorian London, except in this London, there are flying machines and monsters. Alazaibel is possessed as a part of a cult ritual that is meant to open up the floodgates for the demons.

The ending was an interesting concept, but this book never really hooked me. Loved the idea, not so crazy about the execution.

Leaving Paradise by Simone Eckles

Though a little unbelievable to me, this book was immensely popular with my female junior students.

Caleb has just been released from prison after serving a year for drunk driving -- and for hitting his neighbor, Maggie. Maggie is returning to school after a long rehab, realizing that she no longer fits in. Their worlds inevitably collide -- with "surprise" consequences.