The Hate List by Jennifer Brown, 407 p.

In light of recent shootings and the rise of bullying in schools, this is an interesting look at the struggles that teens face, but also questions how each of us perceive the world and our place in it. Brown doesn't give any easy answers or lay blame, but points to the need for communication, compassion and forgiveness to begin the healing process.

The book begins after a shooting at Garvin High School perpetrated by 16 year old Nick Levil. Told through the eyes of the shooter's girlfriend, Valerie. Through a series of flashbacks we experience her past and current struggles to not only move past the horrendous act, but also to come to grips with the realization that Nick, the boy she thought she knew could become this monster everyone now despises. The interesting twist is that Valerie is seen as a possible accomplice due to the hate list that she and Nick created of all the people who were mean and cruel to them in high school. Although she dove in front of Nick, getting shot herself in order to stop the shooting spree, even Valerie's parents doubt her innocence in the affair. As Valerie struggles to return to school and pick up the pieces of her life, she begins to wonder herself. How could she not have know what Nick was planning?

Brown's book is an amazing look at a sensitive subject. When does teasing cross the line to bullying? Who in high school hasn't been made fun of or laughed at? Why does it roll off some and not others? What responsibility does each of us have to ourselves and to each other as we all struggle to fit in? This book is compelling enough to force you to continue reading but it also has the substance to make you think how things could have and should have been different.

Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard 375 p.

Old maid school teacher Mary Potter thinks she will persuade Wolf Mackenzie to let his son return to school. Little does she know that this missison will change her life forever. She and Wolf fall hard for each other. But, the town's prejudice against Wolf's indian blood and his past conviction for something he didn't do cause all kinds of trouble.

Call Me Irresistible

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, 387 pages

Meg Koranda is only doing what's best for her friend, Lucy, when she convinces her not to marry Wynette, Texas's golden boy Ted Beaudine.  Unfortunately, the town along with the families of both the bride and groom don't quite see it that way.  She'd like to be out of town fast, but a promise to Lucy keeps her around for a few days... not to mention the fact that she's completely broke and out of options.

Phillips is always great with the romantic comedy.  Meg is about at rock bottom, and it's amusing to watch her struggle to pick herself up and make a life for herself.  She doesn't let the hatred of the entire town get her down, and she's not cowed by an angry Ted Beaudine.  Phillips is fond of bringing back characters from previous novels, and in this one, her fictional name dropping gets a bit distracting, but the core story is worth a read.

Matched

by Ally Condie, 369 pages

Cassia lives in a society where every decision is made for her from what she eats to the person she will marry to when she will die.  The system is perfect, so she doesn't question it until a technical glitch from her Match card throws her life into chaos. 

This was one I had to stay up late to finish.  The story was compelling from the beginning.  Condie creates a rigid world where characters have little room to break the rules or make any choices for themselves.  She raises questions about the value of free will and the ability to create.  I'm recommending this one to anyone who will  listen with the warning that the end will leave you waiting for the sequel.

Baron: The Cat Returns

by Aoi Hiiragi, 213 pages

Haru is having a bad day. But after she saves a cat from getting hit by a car, her life just gets plain weird. Her school is suddenly surrounded by fields of cattails. Boxes of canned mice are delivered to her house. And the air is heavy with catnip. And then there's the whole being engaged to the King of Cats' son....

With help from new friends Baron (a dapper cat doll come to life) and Muto (a cat as grumpy as he is plump) and others, Haru tries to convince the hilariously lazy and single-minded King of Cats to let her out of the last part of her "reward" before it's too late and she's trapped in the Kingdom of Cats forever.

This cute, funny all-ages manga was also made into an animated film (The Cat Returns) in 2002.

Dick and Jane and Vampires

Dick and Jane and Vampires by Laura Marchesani. 144 pages.

See publisher. See publisher watch market for vampires explode. See publisher see niche for retro added to vampires. See publisher uncover old illustrations of Dick and Jane and add poorly illustrated vampire.

It's hard to say who the audience is for this campy book; the reading level is definitely for new readers, ages 5 or 6, but the humor and creepiness are definitely for an older audience. This will appeal to folks who also love the takes on classics featuring zombies, vampires and sea monsters.

In my efforts to learn more about this author, I found that in addition to writing Dick and Jane books, she has also authored such masterpieces as My Little Pony Easter Celebration Sticker Book and Fisher Price All About My Day Baby's First Scrapbook.

Real: Volume 5

by Takehiko Inoue, 210 pages

Three lives linked by tragedy and basketball.

Hapless delinquent Tomomi Nomiya drops out of high school following a motorcycle accident from which he walked away but which left his passenger without the use of her legs. Never more than a mediocre student with a love of basketball, now he finds himself unemployed, directionless, and incapacitated by guilt. But when he stumbles upon a wheelchair basketball practice, he's inspired to challenge one of the players and maybe start facing his own demons.

Togawa Kiyoharu, once a star sprinter, has lost one of his legs below the knee due to a bone disease and is now trying to learn to love wheelchair basketball the way he once loved running. The pressure he puts on himself and his teammates is high, but so are the goals he's aiming for.

Takahashi Hisanobu is a popular student, top of his class, and captain of the basketball team. When an accident leaves him paralyzed from the chest down, he loses his identity and his faith in himself. Always a harsh judge of others, he turns his scathing criticism inward and is demoralized by what he sees. If he's going to face his physical hurdles head-on, he'll have to overcome his emotional ones first.

Strong character development is the heart and soul of this series. As the three young men deal with their pasts, presents, and as-yet-unknown futures, they have to dig deep to find the determination and confidence to move forward and to recognize and hold onto people they can trust, be they family, friends, physicians, or each other.

This is not a soft-edged, sugar-coated after-school special. These characters' lives and struggles are realistic and hard. They cry, they swear, they throw punches. The scenes of Hisanobu's grueling, humiliating physical therapy sessions are painful to witness. When Nomiya pushes through his debilitating fear to finally get his driver's license, you want to cheer. I've lost count of the number of times this series has made me cry. Luckily, there's also a healthy dose of humor (much of it thanks to earnest Nomiya's tactless honesty). And Inoue's expressive art is as realistic and affecting as the stories it conveys, with or without words.

A sportswriter and basketball fanatic, Inoue has written about the game before (in the long-running, teen action / comedy Slam Dunk), but here the sport takes backseat to the complex interior lives of the characters who love it and need it.

Real won an Excellence Prize at the 2001 Japan Media Arts Festival. The judges' citation stated that although they gave Inoue the award, what they really wanted was the next book. It's good. Read it.