The Shadow Society by Marie Rukoski

Darcy Jones is a social outcast as far as everyone in her Lakebrook Illinois high school is concerned. But Darcy comes from a mysterious background. She was abandoned at age five outside of a Chicago firehouse with no recollection of any memories before that event and has been passed down time and time again to new foster parents. One day at Darcy's school a mysterious new stranger named Conn shows up, claiming to be a student and like many others, Darcy is intrigued with him. When assigned an English project with him, she learns so much more of him than she ever expected. She is taken to a whole new world in another dimension that branched off of a great historic event in Chicago's history: the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Here, she learns of a new species of beings called Shades who have the incredible ability to become invisible to the human eye but leave one trace of their presence: a shadow. But, these beings are labeled by society as heartless terrorists that use their abilities to concoct chaos and destruction and, for the most part, the shade population is exactly that. Upon learning she is a shade, Darcy is presented with a deal from The Interdimensional Bureau of Investigation to spy on her own kind and in return be allowed to return home. Through her experiences from inside the Shadow Society she is able to gain information to feed to the IBI and slowly learns the truth of her past and dares to risk everything she loves to save the human race from another Chicago tragedy.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina Dombegh is the daughter of Claude Dombegh, who is the main adviser and lawyer that made Comonot's Treaty. A treaty, that was signed 40 years ago by Ardmagar Comonot(leader of dragonkind) and Queen Lavonda, which have kept peace between dragons and humans alike. Seraphina Dombegh, is looked upon in high regard, but has a secret of her own. Her secret, being that her mother, was a dragon, who died in child birth. Seraphina is half-dragon and half-human, though there is peace between these two races, this act is illegal and frowned upon. For many years of her life, this fact was hidden from Seraphina, until she started to grow scales on her arms and back. Now, Seraphina has to hide her true identity and is watched over by her uncle(on her mother's side), Orma. Seraphina is assistant music mistress at the palace and has a talent for music, which is very uncommon for dragons. Having a life at the palace, is difficult, with hiding her secret. However, a few days before the arrival of Ardmagar Comonot to the palace(to celebrate the annual signing of the treaty), Prince Rufus, first heir to the throne, is murdered. As the mystery of the murder unravels and as Seraphina prepares for Comonot's arrival, as well as keeping her secret, Seraphia will have to call upon a few friends to help her, along with a dangerous love interest, to save Comonot's treaty and perhaps Ardmagar Comonot himself.

Moonbird by Phillip Hoose

B95 (AKA “Moonbird”) is an amazing survivor of the subspecies rufa. He was first tagged in the year 1995, when he was thought to be around three years old. Rufa typically travel around 18,000 miles a year, and B95 has flown over 325,000 miles in his lifetime. He goes between Rio Grande, Delaware Beach, and his breeding grounds in Arctic Canada. B95 has beaten all of the odds; rufa’s numbers have been decreasing a little more each year. This is most likely attributed to humans, B95’s greatest predator. Humans have been destroying the areas where rufa like to stay, and more importantly, humans have been greatly reducing one of the rufa’s most important food sources: horseshoe crabs. Horseshoe crabs contain LAL, a lifesaving element in their blood that prevents them from getting infections. Unfortunately, it’s not just the crabs that find this LAL useful; humans have been finding it useful as well. Despite all of the adversity, B95 has survived. He is the oldest known surviving Red Knot there is. He provides the perfect example of adaptation; he’s survived all of the challenges he has been handed. He has had some help, though, because many scientists (and ordinary people alike) have come together to save the rufa Red Knots.

Nation by Terry Pratchett

Mau is a young island boy on the verge of passing his "test" to become a man in the eyes of his people. Suddenly, he has everything he knows wiped out by a giant wave. Stranded on his island, Mau discovers he is not alone when a girl from the other side of the world named Daphne appears - the only survivor of a shipwreck. The two struggle with communication issues as well as survival while Daphne awaits rescue. Suddenly, more and more people begin showing up and Mau is thrust into being a leader and keeping these people protected from the natural dangers of the island and a rowdy band of pirates looking to take over.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

        Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay is two different stories in one. It focuses on the Holocaust and tells all the conditions and prejudice the Jewish along with many other groups faced.


           One set in Paris of July of 1942.  There was a roundup taking place that intended to kill off the entire Jewish population.  The book then focuses in Sarah Starynski, a ten-year-old girl who was arrested during this roundup along with her entire family except her younger brother Michel, who she-assuming she would be back to rescue him- hid him in a secret cupboard, and took the key to the cupboard with her. The story then moves on to tell about a journalist named Julia Jarmond who in 2002 is asked to write about this roundup which is called the Vel’d’Hiv’ roundup.  When Julia was researching the roundup, she came across Sarah's story and becomes fascinated by the intriguing story.  I was taken along as I learned Sarah's sad, emotional story as Julia did. I learned that Sarah and her family had been sent to a concentration camp and learned about the holocaust and the terrible conditions.  The story told all the hardships and problems the family faced.  In the end, Sarah and her family were finally taken to Auschwitz where they were executed.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

          This book was interesting to me because it wasn't typical.  It takes place during world war two, and one of the main characters end s up being captured b the Gestapo.  The introduction started off by the narrator saying she was a coward, which contradicts the typical main character hero.  She is a British spy prisoner to the Gestapo, and the story shows what she writes to them as her  confession chosen opposing being tortured and executed.  She writes everything she knows everyday about the one topic her capturers give her: British secret missions.  What drew me in about this story is that I almost thought the narrator, whose code name is Verity, was insane.  I thought this while reading because she is spilling her guts to the German and giving them all the information she can, while she herself says that she will be shot no matter if she says a word or if she refuses.  While Verity explains how she got to be where she is now, she ends up telling her best friend Maddie's story rather than her own.  Maddie was a girl who loved planes, and her awe drove her to learn to fly.  She was the pilot flying Verity on her mission to France.  While on their way, the two friends crash landed and while Maddie somehow got left, Verity was captured by the German. 

           Verity tells her friend's story and how they met.  I learned to know the characters as Maddie being a unique girl who although shy at times wasn't afraid to be herself, and chased her dreams, and Verity as someone who actually has a lot of loyalty to her loved ones.  She is young, attractive, and very intelligent, not afraid.  The two are unlikely friends, definitely reinforcing the "opposites attract" theory.
          However, I learned that Maddie had been killed during the crash landing of the plane, and I wondered if Verity going on about her friend was her way of denial.  But as the story went on, I realized that there was a method to Verity's madness.  Verity tells the Gestapo next how she even got to France in the first place, how she was a spy. 
           The book was split into two parts and the second was told by Maddie's point of view and tells what happened in the plane. She explains how the plane crashed, how she was left there, and how Verity tried to escape.

The City of Bones by : Classandra Clare

 

Fifteen year old Clara Frey decides to go into a club, Pandemonium with her best friend Simon. When they enter the club Clara see a boy with green hair being followed into a back room. As she investigates she soon sees her first encounter with demon hunters and a demon. Clara in shock and confusion goes home to find her mom worried sick about her and ending up fighting. Clara escapes the house to go to a poetry reading with Simon and meets one of the demon hunters that night, Jace. Jace tries to explain to Clara who he is, and who se really is when Clara gets a phone call from her mom. Her mom telling her to not come home. Clara worries and runs to her home to find it destroyed and her mom not there. As Clara searches the house she encounters a demon and kills it. She wakes up in a bed at the Institute where Jace and the other demon hunters "shadow hunters"  live. Clara is taken into a world she as never dreamed of and discovering her true past. On her mission to find her mom Clara  encounters warlocks, vampires and werewolves. As Clara gets closer to finding her mom she also gets closer to the shadow hunter Jace. Clara soon discovers that her real dad is actually Valentine. A killer who want to kill all downworlders and also finds out that, Jace is her brother. The book City of Bones is a young adult urban fantasy that will leave you wanting more and more. 

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

The science-fiction novel Insignia is written by S.J. Kincaid. It has some dystopian principles and explores a future which isn’t totally out of question with the way science has advanced technology. World War III is being waged throughout the solar system and is nothing like anyone could have imagined. India and the United States, the Indo-Americans, have formed an alliance against Russia and China, the Russo-Chinese alliance. To avoid the carnage and bloodshed of a traditionally fought war, the fighting has been taken to astronomical levels that are literally above and beyond. In Tom Raines’ world, little else than scrounging up enough money to eat and take shelter at hotel has mattered… until he is scouted out by the government because of his incredible gaming skills, in the form of an attractive teenage combatant, to be part of a special military project based in the Pentagonal Spire. Made the offer of a lifetime. Although his father is far from thrilled at the idea, Tom is unable to turn down the chance to be a somebody, and fight for his country, and have a shot at actually having friends. A neural processor is implanted in Tom’s brain to give him the mental flexibility and speed of a computer and the ability to control remote battleships throughout the solar system. To become an actual combatant and fight in the war, he will have to endure a few years of training and become acclimated to a new way of thinking and functioning. After a short time in training Tom hears of an enemy combatant with the call sign Medusa, supposedly unbeatable, and is instantly fixated. With computers in their brains, the combatants and trainees are prime targets for malware that could cause them to literally malfunction. Not only are they vulnerable, but Tom's father's words ".. they'll use you like equipment" continue to flash through his thoughts as he may find some things a bit off in the Pentagonal Spire.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia and Cassie were wintergirls. Bonded under the moon and frozen in time. Now Cassie is dead, and leaving Lia alone. Her mom wants her to move back but Lia doesn't want to leave Emma. Dr. Parker wants her to return treatment at New Seasons and her dad wants her to cope with the loss of Cassie. Now her phone has missed calls and her weight is dropping. Can Lia keep telling herself to stay strong and empty. When the hotel calls with a message for her from Cassie will the lost wintergirl return to Lias life, but take Lia with her when she returns back to the lost life? Will Lia stay frozen, forever not gaining or losing but empty and strong?

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Maus is the compelling story of the author's father Vladek Spiegelman and his struggle as a Jewish man during the first couple years of WWII. As the name suggests it is told in a different way than most accounts. Instead of people the author makes all the characters mice and the German people are represented as cats. In addition to that it is also told in comic book form. At first Vladek has all he could ever want, a factory, a beautiful wife and a rich father-in-law. But it all changes after he is recruited into the war. When he comes back he finds his factory had been taken over by Germans and that all Jewish people were being relocated. So begins the very start of Vladek's troubles. They move around from ghetto to ghetto making black market deals and hiding with friends just to survive. Eventually, it becomes harder and harder to get what they need to live. At the end of the book Vladek, his family, and all Jewish people are forced to present paper work to the Germans. If they pass they get shipped to the ghetto Auschwitz, the book ends with Vladek meeting his family on the side heading to Auschwitz.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

***SPOILER ALERT***
Rain hasn't come in 6 months. Red Dust Storm men on horses take Lugh. Saba and Emmi travel after burning their house with Pa in it. They leave Emmi with Mercy. Emmi follows Saba anyway. She is picked up by the Pinch family who wants to force Saba to cagefight. She talks to Helen in the nexst cell and learns more. Then, she meets Maev, who Is part of the Free Hawks.During exercise time Saba and Jack meet. Theycome up with a plan to rescue the fighters.The Hawks burn Hopetown and Saba rescues Jack. The Pinchs, cagemaster and the king follow then and crash. Saba searchesfor Lugh. Ash and Espona follow. They meet Ike and Tommo before fighting the Hellwurms. Finally, they make it to Freedom Fields and rescue Lugh. Saba kills Epona out of mercy. The characters lose Emmi.but then they kill the king and he dies for real. Ike dies so Saba, Lugh, and Emmi decide to take Tommo under their wing. They choose to head West after Jack leaves them.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen is an apocalyptic science fiction novel (otherwise known as "dystopian"). During a camping trip, Eli's father tells his family that a nuclear war is waging and the family must take cover. The family is extremely wealthy due to the father's computer company, YK Industries, and Rex carefully planned for just such an event. Despite the lavish way the family is accustomed to, Rex recreated in detail nearly every aspect of the family's home...in the compound. The family is set to live underground for 15 years until the nuclear material is no longer dangerous. But the family encounters many obstacles, including the fact that Eli's twin brother and grandmother we left behind and presumed dead.  For the 6 years that Eli's family has been underground so far, he has struggled with his own feelings of guilt that Eddy is no longer with them. Then, the food supply begins to deplete, despite all efforts to have sustainable food for all 15 years of the expected stay in the compound. It begins to seem strange that Eli's genius father would overlook some essential aspects of the compound, especially since he developed horrific methods for overcoming food shortages. When Eli discovers a potential wireless internet connection, he begins to question his father's motives, as well as the true safety of his entire family.