After by Amy Efaw

I'm re-posting this review I did of After from 2009 because it was nominated for a Garden State Teen Book Award! It was one of my favorite books that year. Here's what I wrote:

After is the story of Devon, a straight-A student from a working class family who hides her pregnacy, gives birth alone and throws her baby in a dumpster. Following Devon through her hearing and first days in juvenial detention, the author explores how a teenager who had everything going for her got to this place and the denial and panic that led her to perform such a horrific act. It's interesting to hear about the attempted murder from the mother's side but be prepare- it's an addictive read and you might be up all night!

Soul Pancake

What is the biggest mistake you've ever made?
(Decca Records reject the Beatles in 1962 saying, "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out anyway.")

What does art have to do with the soul?
("Originality is undetected plagarism- W.R. Inge)

How do you determine truth?
("Intense feeling too often obscures the truth."- Harry Truman)

These are some of life's big questions posed by Rainn Wilson (you might know him as Dwight from The Office) in the new book Soul Pancake. Each question is accompanied by quotes, images and sub-questions that get you thinking about the question, speaking your mind and helping you "figure out what it means to be human".

In addition to the book, Rainn Wilson also created SoulPancake.com, a social networking site. In his own words, "SoulPancake is more of a mission than a Web site. It's a MOVEMENT to wrestle with and chew on LIFE'S BIG QUESTIONS. It's a way to EXPLORE why we believe the things that we believe. It's a place for you to TALK about your soul and the existence of God. It's a space to ENGAGE in art, philosophy, creativity, truth, and beauty. And ultimately, SoulPancake is a community of people who are digging DEEPER to figure out what it means to be human and to experience this rich, strange, difficult, and awesome journey called life." Check it out at www.soulpancake.com

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

Wes and June are high school juniors. June is new in town. Her father's job doesn't let her stay in one school for very long. After six schools in four years, June has finding friends and boyfriend down to a science- find smart, fun people to hang around but no one who is so unique that she'll actually miss them. Wes's best friend Jerry fits the bill perfectly. Geeky but not too geeky, fun but not too fun. But Wes and June keep finding themselves thrown together and they fall hard for each other despite the many obstacles in their way. Big Crunch tells a story that's both sweet and simple and it manages to stay away from a lot of "teenage love story" cliches. If you are looking for a realistic story of two nice kids in love than this one is definitely for you!

Shine by Lauren Myracle

When 16 year old Cat's former best friend Patrick is found beaten, unconscious and tied to a gas pump at the gas station where he worked, everyone in rural Black Creek, NC assumes it was local college students that put Patrick in a coma because he refused to sell him alcohol and that it had nothing to do with the fact that he is openly gay. Cat, however, knows that's not what happened. She has drifted apart from Patrick and her other friends in the last few years but she's determined to find out exactly what happened to Patrick that night. As Cat begins to investigate, she turns up twisted relationships, shocking evidence and disturbing memories. This book is raw and gritty and at times difficult to read but it will definitely have you turning the pages and second guessing yourself! I highly recommend this for anyone who loves a good mystery with rough characters.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow (you might know him as the author of Little Brother) is back with this fast-paced story about a group of teenagers from around the world who work in harsh conditions playing for virtual gold in several different massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Their bosses then turn around and sell the virtual gold for real money, very little of which these "gold farmers" ever see. That is until the mysterious Big Sister Nor brings these teens together, convincing them to unionize and bring their virtual sweatshops to a halt. This book is action packed (in the real and virtual world) as the gamers take on corrupt local bosses, social indifference, crooked cops and big business. You don't have to be a MMPORPG lover or a future economics major to love For the Win but both of those things would make this book perfect for you!

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

In Megan McCafferty’s new novel, Bumped, everyone in the world has contracted a virus that causes infertility after the age of 18, making teen pregnancies the only way to continue civilization. Chapters alternate between twins Melody and Harmony, separated at birth and just meeting for the first time. Melody has become the first “Reproduction Professional,” or “RePro”, in her school. She has a contract to “bump” and produce a baby for a wealthy couple. Harmony has recently run away from her religious enclave in order to convince Melody to break her contract and embrace God instead. In a case of mistaken identity, Harmony intercepts the news the Melody will “bump” with the world’s most famous surrogate father and the plot (and a huge mess!) unfolds from there. Each twin begins to doubt their motives and original plans.

I think you’re going to love this book! It’s fast-paced and upbeat (if you can call a dystopia upbeat!) and once you get the hang of all the slang it’s a quick read. The end is a bit of cliff-hanger though so you’ll have to wait for Book #2 for the conclusion!

The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta

The Piper’s Son by Melina Marchetta is the sequel to Saving Francesca, although you don’t really need to have read Saving Francesca to enjoy this book. The story focuses on Francesca’s friends, Tom Mackee who abandoned the circle of friends and his sort-of girlfriend Tara after his beloved Uncle Joe was killed by a suicide bomber in London. Unable to handle his grief, Tom fell in with new friends who party hard. After a particularly reckless night, Tom decides to leave his new friends, move in with his pregnant aunt, work on reconnecting with his old friends, sort out his deep feelings for Tara and reunite his parents who separated after Tom’s recovering alcoholic dad started drinking again to deal with his grief. This all sounds like the makings of a depressing novel, but Tom’s family is loving and realistic despite being slightly dysfunctional and you are really rooting for Tom through all of his struggles and I think you’ll be as pleased with the ending as I was!

Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

This is another great postapocalyptic adventure for all you dystopian fans! Nailer is a teenager living in extreme poverty in a shanty town along the American Gulf Coast. The only source of income for his people is scavenging washed up oil tankers for copper. Every day Nailer strives to stay alive, “make quota” and avoid his violent, drug-addicted father. After a violent hurricane, Nailer and his friend Pima find a "lucky strike"- a luxury oceanliner filled with riches. As they are making plans for how to unload the treasures and get rich before anyone on their crew discovers the ship, they realize there is a survivor onboard. The daughter of a shipping-company owner is trapped in the wreckage and promises to show them a world of priviledge if they free her. Nailer and Pima must decided whether to believe her and take the time to save her and risk others finding the ship or slit her throat and scavange as much as they can from the ship before anyone else gets there. Can they trust her? Can they keep her hidden from Nailer's father? This book is faced paced and exciting and the story is really original which is hard to do given the huge amount of dystopian books that have been coming out lately! If you love this book, Bacigalupi has a couple adult books you can check out!

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Phoebe meets Mallory in seventh grade when Phoebe shuns the popular clique and befriends the odd new girl Mallory. Mallory and Phoebe are inseparable for the next four years until Mallory reveals she has a never-before-mentioned brother and it's revealed to the reader that Mallory and her brother Rylant are faeries out to manipulate Phoebe and bring her to the Faerie Queen for some unknown and mysterious purpose. If you like faeries and paranormal fiction you are going to LOVE this book. But even if you tend to like more realistic books, I still think you'll enjoy reading about the drama that arises when two friends as close as sisters are torn apart because of a boy. If you like this one, also check out her last novel Impossible about a girl who has 9 months to break an ancient curse in order to save herself and her unborn baby.

If you really hate faeries but think this books would be perfect without them, check out some of Nancy Werlin's other fantasy-free books, like Rules of Survival, Locked Inside and Double Helix

Review: All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

I just finished Anna Jarzab's debut novel All Unquiet Things and it was awesome! I could not put it down. The narration switches between Neily and Audrey, the ex-boyfriend and cousin of Carley, a student at an elite private high school who was murdered one year ago. Audrey's father has been convicted of the murder but Audrey doesn't believe he did it and approaches Neily to help her further investigate the crime and the dark underside of Brighton Day School. Any one who loves good drama and mystery or loved Looking for Alaska by John Green or Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher will definitely not be disappointed! We also have the audiobook of All Unquiet Things and the narrators do a great job. Still not convinced you must read this? Check out the book trailer:

Review: After by Amy Efaw

After is the story of Devon, a straight-A student from a working class family who hides her pregnacy, gives birth alone and throws her baby in a dumpster. Following Devon through her hearing and first days in juvenial detention, the author explores how a teenager who had everything going for her got to this place and the denial and panic that led her to perform such a horrific act. It's interesting to hear about the attempted murder from the mother's side but be prepare- it's an addictive read and you might be up all night!

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Grace has always had a strange connection with the yellow eyed wolf who roams in her backyard. When a wolf attack on a high school student sends her town into a panic, she runs into the woods in an attempt to save her yellow-eyed wolf. When she is met by a yellow-eyed boy named Sam she knows that he is her wolf and it's love at first sight. The narration alternates between Grace and Sam as they revel in the fact that they can finally be together and panic as they try to prevent Sam from turning back into a wolf forever.

If you like romance of the supernatural variety, Twilight (or wanted to like Twilight but thought it fell short), or wolves than this one is definitely for you.

Still need more convincing? Check out the book trailer: