Release: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die...…or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: Ruby Red Trilogy #1
Pages: 322
Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended—and rather eccentric—family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors’ peculiar history, she’s had a relatively normal life so far. The time-traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn’t been introduced to “the mysteries,” and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesley, watching movies and talking about boys. It comes as an unwelcome surprise then when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past.

She’s totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He’s obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she’s seen in any century….

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I don't read a lot of time travel novels. They're somewhat rare (considering most YA novels are about werewolves, vampires. faeries, etc) and a lot of times they're the same. They're mostly about a girl who can travel back in time and she falls in love with a boy ... blah blah blah. Ruby Red was a refreshing break from the serious, melodramatic time traveling novels.

Gwen and her friend Lesley don't take the time-traveling very seriously. For instance, Gwen takes her cell phone back to the eighteenth century and takes pictures of the people she meets. She also has Lesley Google everything she doesn't understand or can't remember from history lessons. I somewhat pitied Gwen, because everyone expected her perfect cousin Charlotte to get the gene, and when she started to time travel, no one believed her and they mocked her because she wasn't as pretty or smart. But Gwen was sharp and witty. She was also very stubborn, making for an interesting MC.

It felt like the author was cramming the entire plot into one novel. This made me a little breathless. It was also confusing. Gwen doesn't know what's going on (because she hasn't been introduced to "the mysteries") therefore the reader doesn't know what's going on. I would have liked if we'd had a bit more explanation and slower events, or at least enough time to breath in between!

Overall, this was a great novel. The MC was marvelous, the extensive accounts from previous time travelers was a brilliant add, and Kerstin Gier just had to end on a bit of a cliffhanger. Though the novel was fast and somewhat confusing, the characters were marvelously written as was the history behind the Temple and the Twelve. I can't wait for Sapphire Blue to come out in October!

The Cover: This is the newest cover, the one that matches the sequel's. I kind of like the original just because it was had a very sophisticated feel. But this is just as lovely as the first, and I especially love the background.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Genre: social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 444
Summary:

Ambitious teen Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job. He accomplishes step one by getting into Manhattan’s extremely selective Executive Pre-Professional High School. And that’s when things start to get crazy.

At Craig’s new school, the pressure is unbearable. There, he’s just average, and maybe not even that. He sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. Craig stops eating and sleeping until, one night, he nearly kills himself.

Craig’s suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and a recovering garbage-head named Bobby who needs his help. There, isolated from the crushing stresses of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.

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The characters were my favorite part of the story. Craig had so many people and influences in his life. His school friends, who treated him terribly; his family, who loved him and wanted him to get better no matter what; and the adults at the hospital, who helped him realize what real friends were like and helped him deal with his depression. Craig was also an excellent character to watch develop and change. He's trying to be a normal kid while at the same time trying to be an adult.

The plot hops around a lot. The first couple of chapters have Craig depressed, then the next few have him not, and then it goes back to before high school, to when he's depressed again and finally to the hospital. I would have liked if everything had been a sequence of events rather than a reference to the past and then being plopped back into the present.

Overall, Craig doesn't really act like he's depressed. I mean, I knew he was. I could tell by the way he was uncomfortable and nervous all the time, wondering if anything was going to happen with his friends around, but he was upbeat and tried so hard to be normal for everybody. I also loved how much his character changed. Ned Vizzini wrote the transition excellently, taking us from Point A: the beginning of the depression with his stressful school and mean friends, to Point B: managing his depression and finding that life doesn't have to be about girls and drugs and trying to fit in.

The Cover: I love the map brain. Craig's own city of his mind.

Release: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Release: Forgiven by Jana Oliver

The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands to last a normal teenage lifetime. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon has told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list.

But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta… or someone. The demons are working together for the first time ever and refusing to die, putting civilians in harm’s way. Riley thinks she might know who’s behind it all, but who’s going to believe her? Caught between her bargain with Heaven and her promise to Lucifer, Riley fears the final war is coming – and it may be closer than anyone thinks…

Legend by Marie Lu

Genre: sci-fi, dystopian
Series and Book #: Legend #1
Pages: 305
Summary:

Once known as the western coast of the United States, the Republic is now a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors, the Colonies.

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country, she is being groomed from success in the Republic’s highest circles.

Born in the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in the race for his family’s survival, while June tries desperately to avenge Metias’s death.

But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets.

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Ohmygosh. June and Day each had their own, singular voice that I think Marie Lu did an excellent job writing. June was more calculating and observant whereas Day was hesitant and blunt.

The world that Day and June live in was wonderfully written. I loved how everything was explained. Marie Lu didn't spare details during the Skiz fights, the sectors, and the government buildings. I could see everything she was describing, which is the best thing of a book. I love the setting of books no matter what I read. If there is strong writing when it comes to setting, I immediately fall head-over-heels for it!

I wish that June's strength would have been constant throughout the book. I felt that once she met Day, all of her skills vanished and her resolve crumbled. I wanted there to be more examples of the techniques she'd picked up in the military. Same with Day. At the beginning, June describes all of these amazing feats that Day had completed, but I never experienced any of them.

Overall, the setting and the characters of this novel were well written. Lu's descriptions of the places and people June and Day meet was exceptional. I found myself pulled into the story. There wasn't as much romance as I was told there would be. It was all more towards the end, and still then June didn't know if she could trust Day and vice versa. The characters voices had a lot of heart behind them as well. I found myself caring for Day's family and June's brother. I also loved the undercurrent of government corruption. Can't wait for the sequel!

The Cover: LOVE the Republic seal, shiny metal, and gold!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Genre: social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 213
Summary:

Standing on the fringes of life...

offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

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This was a really fast read that I thought went through so many important things in such a short amount of time. Charlie's starting to grow up in high school, and he doesn't understand much of what's going on around him, but he understands others pain and happiness. He tries to make everyone around him happy, whether it's by being himself or by being someone else.

Charlie was such a cool kid. He didn't force anyone into anything; he never mocked anyone; he simply stood and watched. This gave an interesting narrative in which there wasn't much opinion. Instead, it was Charlie retelling the event, adding a few comments, but going nowhere further.

Overall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower grasped teenage years. It takes us from freshman year all the way to graduation, but not with a single character. It offers a perspective from everyone. How Charlie feels about his new school and friends, how his friends feel about growing up and moving on, about relationships and love. Charlie sees it all, but not through his eyes alone. He also sees his friends and their attitudes towards some of life's greatest years.

The Cover: I like how there's only the one picture, and even then the model remains anonymous just like Charlie!