Lock and Key

by Sarah Dessen, 422 pages

After Ruby Cooper is abandoned by her mother, she is sent to live with her older sister, Cora, who she hasn't seen in nearly ten years.  Cora is now married and living in a rich neighborhood which leads to a major culture shock for Ruby who was living in disorder and poverty long before her mother split.  All Ruby ever wanted was to be left alone long enough to make it to 18 when she could claim her independence.  Her new life changes more than just her circumstances- it changes her ideas about family, friendship, accepting help, and giving it in return.

This is an author who's been on my need to read list for a while now.  I'm glad I finally got around to one of her books.  I cared about Ruby from the beginning, and her rough edges only made me root for her more.  I appreciate the way the character was built up, piece by piece, with Ruby's background added in seamlessly as she adjusted to her new world.  The interaction between characters was well done, too.  There resolution took time with Ruby progressing then messing up in a way that seemed true to life.  It was a joy to watch her blossom and slowly overcome her painful past. 

Divergent

by Veronica Roth, 487 pages

In Beatrice Prior's world, everyone one is divided into five factions that represent different values. She is born in Abnegation, a faction that values selflessness above all else. Even though she appreciates the values she's grown up with, Beatrice feels stifled by the Abnegation restrictions. At sixteen, she is at the age to choose which faction will become the rest of her life. If she decides to choose a faction other than the one she was born into, she will be cut off from her family. The choice she makes will determine her entire future, but the choice may be more dangerous for Beatrice than she realizes.

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! I started it in the morning on my break and within the first 5 minutes knew that I wasn't going to be able to put it down. I read it on short increments during my breaks throughout the day and couldn't wait to go home so I could read. I stayed up late to finish it, because I couldn't possibly sleep without knowing how the story ends! Divergent is an adrenaline rush filled with challenges, fights, conspiracy, and just enough romance to make life worth living in dark times. Tris is a totally kick-butt character, I can't wait to see where Roth takes the rest of the series. This is one I'll be recommending to everyone I know, so if you haven't put yourself on the waiting list yet, now's the time!

After the Golden Age

by Carrie Vaughn, 304 pages

Celia West has done her best to escape her upbringing as the only daughter of superhero parents.  Unfortunately, her high-profile past catches up to her when her accounting firm needs her help in prosecuting the Destructor, one of the worst villains Commerce City's ever known.  As tensions rise, secrets that Celia would prefer remain buried come out into the open and the quiet life she's built for herself will never be the same.

Carrie Vaughn has a knack for creating characters that I'm invested in by page 2.  The book starts off with Celia being kidnapped, an event that we're told happens pretty frequently.  The bad guys expect her famous parents to bust in and save the day, and Celia is the perfect tool for entrapment.  I expected Celia to turn around and kick some butt, because that's what heroines do when they're kidnapped... but Celia's not that kind of heroine and this isn't that kind of superhero story.  "After the Golden Age" is a compelling tale about a young woman who thinks she's found her place in the world, only to realize that she's done little more than run away from her past.  She doesn't have powers, but she's smart and has a strange type of courage which is all the more impressive for its subtlety.   

"Graceling" by Kristin Cashore

471 pages

Katsa lives in a world where some people are born with exceptional skills or powers called Graces. Her uncle, King Randa, rules one of the seven kingdoms of her part of the world, and he uses Katsa's Grace--killing--to terrorize people who get in his way or don't bow to his wishes. Though Katsa's ability to kill and her uncle's use of it disgust her, she feels that disobeying her powerful uncle's wishes is not an option. To redeem herself and use her power for good, she secretly creates and works with the Council, a group of fighters and accomplices who work together to save citizens in all the seven kingdoms from abuses of power. On one of her missions for the Council, Katsa encounters another young "Graceling" named Po who informs her that a king with a dangerous Grace might be behind the some of the problems the Council faces. As Katsa and Po set out to discover the truth and make things right, she discovers that her Grace might involve more than just killing and that there's more to Po than she originally thought.

I love this book! It drew me in right away and I couldn't put it down. Katsa is a really interesting character who changes and grows a lot throughout the story. I really identified with her (even though I don't have any special powers!) and I think a lot of other readers will too because she's struggling to reconcile something dark within her with her desire to be a good person and make a difference. I also like that Katsa is such a strong female character who refuses to be defined or controlled by a man, as is Captain Faun. I think it's great for teens to see characters like that in books. Although the romance part of the story is predictable, there are several twists and turns in the main plot that kept me interested and I cared so much about the characters--including the secondary characters--that I couldn't wait to find out what happened to them. The conclusion is satisfying, but I'm dying for some more books about Katsa, Po, Bitterblue, and the rest! I hear that a follow-up, tentatively titled Bitterblue, is due later this year and I can hardly wait!

Maid Sama!: Volume 8

by Hiro Fujiwara, 192 pages

Student Council elections are coming up and Misaki takes them more seriously than one might expect, even going so far as to encourage her competition. She doesn't want to lose, but she wants the students to care enough to get involved, even if that means letting them conscript a first-year shrinking violet to be her rival.

At heart, Misaki is a protector, even of the oh-so-teenaged schoolboys she's determined to whip into shape--not that they see it that way, of course (they do call her the Demon President, after all). She makes them leave their porn at home, keep the locker room clean, and behave in the halls--what kind of monster is she?! Poor Kanou, hoody-shrouded recovering misogynist that he is, would rather just watch the world from the sidelines, but he can't say "no thank you" loud enough for his fired-up supporters to notice. Surprised but thrilled by their exuberance, Misaki accepts the challenge.

And speaking of challenges, Usui and Hinata seem to be taking one another pretty seriously, too. They actually bark at each other. Hee! When they face off, the others have to blink back visions of them as a fluffy shiba inu (Hinata) and a toned Doberman (Usui). The former's earnestness demands sympathy--how can you not like such a sweet thing? But even Dobermans can make puppy dog eyes that tug at your heartstrings.

Last but not least, another challenge gives the Idiot Trio (a formerly delinquent threesome who stumbled upon Misaki's secret and are now her most loyal maid café fanboys) the chance to finally get some love and respect from the author, who for once condescends to draw them realistically instead of in their perpetual chibi (super cutesy abstract) forms and gives them a sweet story of tough-boy bonding. She still makes fun of them--otherwise they wouldn't be the Idiot Trio--but she does so with affection. How much you wanna bet there'll be shouts of vindication from the character sidebars in the next volume? :P

Maid Sama!: Volume 7

by Hiro Fujiwara, 189 pages

Misaki Ayuzawa has her hands full as class president at her formerly all-boys high school, where she has been forging order from chaos and looking out for the interests of the female minority. To keep the boys in line and maintain her authority, she has developed a bullet-proof reputation as a no-nonsense, hardworking enforcer who holds herself to the same sometimes draconian standards she demands of others. She's all work and no play and even has a part-time job to help make ends meet at home. But Misaki worries that if anyone at school finds out she works at a maid café, they'll no longer take her seriously and everything will slide back downhill, so she spends what little energy she has leftover trying to keep her secret. When classmate Takumi Usui stumbles on the truth, he agrees to hold his tongue, but only so he can sit back and watch the show as she scrambles to keep it all together.

Or so he says. For someone who claims to be a disinterested party, Usui has become awfully involved in Misaki's life and surprisingly confrontational with her newly surfaced childhood friend Hinata, who has openly professed his love for her. Misaki can't figure out why Usui hangs around her all the time or why she hasn't made too great an effort to make the "perverted space alien" go away. But when the two inadvertently get sucked into a "love trial" at a local school festival, they may finally get some answers.

Maid Sama! is fun and Misaki is a great female lead. She's strong, smart, proactive (well, in all areas but one) and cares about other people. She's no damsel in distress (she once beat up her own assailant), but neither is she an indestructible superhero. When she does need Usui, it usually isn't how a princess needs a knight in shining armor, it's how a person needs another person. And for all his professed detachment, he seems to need her the same way. In fact, the more he draws Misaki out, the more the reader realizes Usui's been holding back and that neither she nor Misaki knows much of anything about him. The discrepancy hints at drama in the future.

This series sports snappy, thoughtful dialogue, pleasant visuals, engaging characters, silliness tempered with a wee touch of sincere drama, and a story with a little something for everyone.

Nowhere Near Respectable

by Mary Jo Putney, 352 pages

 Lady Kiri Lawford knows that some in society dislike her half Indian blood, but she is proud of her royal heritage despite its foreign origins.  When she hears her potential fiance's mother disparaging her mother and her ancestry, Kiri leaves his house in a fit of temper.  Her ride quickly turns dangerous when she crosses paths with a group of smugglers.  Captive and plotting her escape, Kiri takes her chance when a stranger arrives and distracts her captors.  Damain Mackenzie doesn't realize that Kiri is the sister of one of his brother's closest friends when he helps her escape.  The moment he finds out, he rushes her to safety and promises to put her out of his mind.  Kiri, however, is determined to pay him back for his assistance.  The good deed leads to another as she interrupts a kidnapping and suddenly becomes part of a group charged with foiling a royal assassination plot with Damian by her side.

Mary Jo Putney is one of my favorites for historical romance.  Her characters and settings are richly drawn, and her plots are always fast and intriguing.  This is part of her Lost Lords series and adds one more piece to a larger puzzle that began in Loving a Lost Lord.

Kitty and the Midnight Hour

by Carrie Vaughn, 272 pages

Kitty Norville is a late night DJ for a Denver radio station.  Being a radio DJ is kind of like being God, so when Kitty refuses to play any music unless one of her callers requests a song that was made prior to 1990, she inadvertently turns her show into an all night talk show.  The topic: the supernatural.  Most people think it's a joke, but a few start to suspect that Kitty is more than she seems.  Soon she is dealing with a bounty hunter that  specializes in werewolves and angry vampires determined to shut her down.

I couldn't put this book down.  The story is fast-paced and exciting with smart dialog and flashes of humor.  Despite their supernatural origins, Vaughn's characters are surprisingly human.  In the beginning of the book, Kitty is just trying to survivor her complicated life, but as the story builds she starts to figure out what's important and that some things are worth fighting for.  This should appeal to fans of urban fantasy and maybe the paranormal romance crowd, even though romance isn't the focus of the book.  If you're looking for a great escapist read, give this one a try!

"Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague" by Geraldine Brooks

A haunting story of historical fiction that takes place in England during 1666, "Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague" by Geraldine Brooks chronicles the life of Anna, a courageous and strong young woman who, through the powers of science, helps others survive in the small town of Eyam, "Plague Village." Supposedly, the plague initially spread to this actual village of Eyam by disease-ridden cloth, and the village decided to quarantine itself in order to stop the spread of the plague. This terrible disease took entire families and in one year two thirds of the townspeople within Eyam fell to the plague. The thought of this sacrifice is heartbreaking, which makes Anna's story ultimately uplifting. She grows so much as a student, as a friend, and as a caregiver throughout this year of the plague, and that's really one of the greatest "wonders" in the book. It's quite a page-turner and suited very well for fans of historical fiction with strong female characters and readers who enjoy stories that explore how different people handle adversity, death, loss of faith, and the conflict of science versus religion. Highly recommended.

308 pages.

The Villa

by Nora Roberts 421 pages

Sophia Giambelli and Tyler MacMillan have just been named heirs in the newly merged Giambelli-MacMillian wineries.  Their inheritance hinges on their ability to lead the company successfully into the future while holding on to the tradition valued by both families.  This task becomes complicated as corporate sabotage and murder threaten everything the families hold dear.

Nora Roberts is usually a sure bet for romance fans, and she doesn't disappoint in The Villa.  This is a complicated tale of friendship, family and fighting together for what matters.  The love stories weave through several generations as do the lies and deception.  The Villa is the perfect story to enjoy with a glass of wine.

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.

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters

by Natalie Standiford, 313 pages

Almighty Lou, the matriarch of the Sullivan clan, announces that someone in the family has deeply offended her, and she expects a written confession from the guilty party or the entire family will be disinherited.  Everyone naturally assumes it must have been one of the girls, so sisters Norrie, Jane, and Sassy begin their confessions.

I loved this book.  Each girl tells a story about making mistakes, learning from them, and growing up.  The three distinct voices are connected by their unique family and their love for each other. 

Runaway Twin

by Peg Kehret, 197 pages

Runaway Twin is a 2011-2012 Mark Twain Award Nominee. Sunny has spent most of her life in foster care. Although she has finally been placed in a home she likes, she is still unhappy. Sunny was separated from her twin sister, Starr, when they were three years old. She has no idea where Starr is now, but the thought of a twin sister somewhere in the world, the only person who can really understand her, haunts her thought and keeps her from being satisfied. She's always felt that something is missing, and she won't be complete until she's reunited with Starr.

When Sunny finds a mysterious sack of cash while on a hike, she decides the time has come to find her twin. She runs away from her foster home with only a vague idea of where to begin her search.

Sunny is a quick-witted and engaging main character. Her intelligence and intuition keep what could be a pretty implausible plot from seeming unbelievable. While this wasn't my favorite Mark Twain Award Nominee, this book could have a lot of appeal for older kids/YA (Sunny is 13, and there are some scary parts), and boys, if they don't mind a female main character.

A Personal Devil: A Magdalene la Batarde Mystery

by Roberta Gellis, 324 pages

I took an elevator ride with Roberta Gellis some years ago and asked her if she was finished with the Roselynde Chronicles, her historical romance series. She said she was, because the main characters were getting to an age where she would have to start killing them off! She said she was going to write some fantasy and dabble in a few other genres.

A month or so ago I came across the first title in her medieval mystery series, which was called A Mortal Bane. I just finished this title and intend to read all of the series.

I enjoyed the well-drawn sleuth characters of Magdalene and Sir Bellamy of Itchen. A medieval scholar, Ms Gellis creates an authentic world for her characters to move through. Ms Gellis has made an interesting choice for her protagonist, since Magdalene is the proprietess of a house of ill-repute. Ironically called The Old Priory Guesthouse, Magdalene's house fills a niche in 12th century London, a place where gentlemen can enjoy female company in complete privacy. I won't spoil the story by telling you why Magdalene's establishment is unique, but because it is so, the female characters in the novels have more freedom than most women of the day.

By turns intriguing, funny and thoughtful, the books in this series will satisfy readers in the historical mystery genre.