Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Living Dead Girl is the story of Alice, a young girl who was kidnapped at a young age. Now 15, Alice still lives with her abductor, secluded from the world, and forced to appease his carnal desires. Over the years she has grown up while dying inside herself, yet with growing older her appeal to her captor fades.  He tells her stories of the last girl he had, and how he killed her when she was 15, and then killed her parents as a belated punishment for growing up. Now her torturer wants Alice to help him find her replacement. Her withered emotions resurface as she finds herself elated that her nightmare is coming to an end, worried that the parents she can hardly remember might be killed, and malice towards her replacement. Does Alice, (which isn’t even her real name), have enough humanity left to save the little girl her abductor has his eye on? Or has she been hurt too much and too often so that now she just wants to cause a little pain of her own before she is killed?

As you can probably tell by now this isn’t a book for everyone. At times I felt like I was being bludgeoned while reading it.  I do think it is a good book though. It makes you think about what makes us really human, and how people can survive horrific experiences. It is appropriate for an older audience, ages 16 and up. It does have explicit scenes of abuse. I’d recommend it for anyone who has a strong stomach and is committed to thinking the story over after you’re finished, because the story will stick with you no matter what.

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The Summoning by Elizabeth Armstrong

Chloe Saunders suffers horrible nightmares where ghosts talk to her. On her 15th birthday the ghosts no longer stay in her dreams. A visit to the school bathroom turns violent as a burned skeleton chases her out into the hall. No one else can see the ghosts so she is diagnosed as schizophrenic and sent to live in a group home. There she meets Simon, Derek, Liz, and Rae. They each have their own psychological problems, yet Chloe can’t help feeling something is amiss. Despite her medications the ghosts won’t leave her alone. Derek has a theory as to why: she isn’t crazy at all, she is actually a necromancer, someone who can speak and raise the dead. Derek also implies that she might not be the only one at the home with other worldly powers. If his theories are correct then what are the nurses and doctors actually doing to them with the medications and therapy sessions at the group home? Something sinister is afoot at the group home and Chloe and her new friends are determined to figure the mystery out.

I was surprised about how much I enjoyed this book. It turned out to be really engaging and an interesting take on dark fantasy, and I am looking forward to the sequel. The Summoning would appeal to both boys and girls who are into urban fantasy, or who need a comfortably creepy read. Appropriate for anyone 12 and up.

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Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
5 Stars

Breaking Dawn is about Bella and Edward after they get married. I liked this book best out of all of the Twilight books because Bella finally changes into a vampire and also has a child.

Also the Vulturi come to destroy her child because they think it is a threat to the humans and cant keep the secret of the vampires. I think you should read this book after you read the rest of the Twilight books because it will end Edward and Bella’s story the way it should be. You definately need to read it if you enjoyed the other Twilight books as much as I do.

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The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
5 Stars

In this book Amy and Dan Cahill are chasing after 39 clues left behind by their grandmother. The clues lead to a treasure that will make them the most powerful people in the world. But other members in the race will do anything to stop them. With only advice from their grandmother’s mysterious lawyer and their au pair, Nellie, the two set off on an adventure full of betrayal and loss. I recommed this book to anyone who likes adventure or mystery to read this book.
I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

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Cycler by Lauren Mclaughlin

OMG! I loved this book. Jill McTeague desperately wants to go to prom with Tommy Knutson, but she has an unusual medical condition that may stop her. Once a month, right before her period, she transmogrifies into a adolescent male for four days. Her parent’s keep Jack (Jill’s male persona) locked in the house each month for his entire four day existence. The family’s cover story is that Jill is absent once a month from school due to blood transfusions.

The problem is that Jack has a crush of his own, on Jill’s best friend Ramie, and decides to sneak out in order to express his adoration. As the book progresses the love triangle just gets more and more awkwardly humorous. As prom approaches Jill isn’t sure who is going to attend, Jack? Jill? Tommy? Ramie? Definitely pick this one up to find out, and don’t worry a sequel is already in the works. One FYI, this book does contain frank discussions of sex. Appropriate for anyone 14 and up. Highly Recommended.

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Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
5 Stars

This book is about a boy named Luke who is a shadow child or an illegal first child. Due to a famine the most number of children a family can have is two. Luke is forced to hide all his life until rich Barons move in across the street and he sees a girl’s face in a window where two boys already live. He goes to investigate and meets Jen, another illegal child. But Jen starts to plan a rally to gain freedom for the shadow children. But things go wrong. Fatally wrong.

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The Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner

I was really blown away by the raw power of this book. Diary of a Teenage Girl is about a young girl named Minnie growing up in 1970’s San Francisco. It is written in a diary format that also includes cartoons, much like a graphic novel, that also tell the story. Minnie comes from a broken home and has no positive role models in her life. Feeling unloved and unwanted she turns to sex and drugs to fill the void in her life. This could easily turn into a cliche, but it is Minnie’s distinctive voice and the incredible artwork that lifts the material so it becomes a truly powerful story. Throughout the story Minnie battles with depression, suicidal thoughts, sexual abuse (by a family member and a friend), and drug abuse.

Because of the subject matter, this book is appropriate for teens that are 16 and older. It should be of interest to anyone who is into alternative and underground comics, coming of age stories, or has a connection to the subject matter. Highly recommended.

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