"Unwind" by Neal Shusterman

Dystopian books are very interesting pieces of literature. They explore what the world might look like years from now if society took a different path. Like other dystopian books, Unwind takes readers through the unfamiliar world the main character lives in. However, Unwind isn't about how society was trying to make everyone perfect -- practically the opposite. The story is centered around the concept of "unwinding," which was basically like being an organ donor. The only differences were pretty major: one, all the body parts of the organ donor were used, two, the organ donors were often being organ donors against their will, and three, the organ donors were children or were 18 years old. Unwind follows three Unwinds: Connor, Risa, and Lev. This book is chilling, interesting, and extremely thought-provoking.

Appropriate for: advanced young readers, teens, and adults
Rating: must read! (note: this is a great book for discussions and responding to in writing, so I'd recommend Unwind for book clubs and classrooms.)

"Pretty LIttle Liars" by Sara Shepard

Romance, action, mystery, humor, suspense -- this book is literally impossible to put down. The four pretty little liars, Hanna, Spencer, Aria, and Emily had always confided in their friend Alison DiLaurentis, and she held their secrets over their heads, never letting them forget about them for a minute. When Alison was unexpectedly murdered, these girls think their secrets are safe -- until they start getting mysterious texts from "A." Could "A" be Alison? Plot twists and turns make this book a really great read. However, for younger children (not teenagers yet), this book is not appropriate. Language, violence, and "adult" topics are mentioned throughout the series. Also, though, for adults, this book is a little bit amateur.

Appropriate for: teens, older teens

Rating: pretty good -- very exciting and will entertain you, but not much real meaning comes out of this book.

"Uglies" by Scott Westerfield

Perfect hair. Perfect skin. Perfect eyes. In our world, we think of supermodels. In Tally's world, they think of every person over sixteen. That's right -- every girl and guy becomes impossibly gorgeous. Who wouldn't want that? As it turns out, the answer is: a lot of people.
As soon as tally meets her new friend Shay, things start to get interesting. Shay introduces her to a whole new side of her world that she never knew.
In this amazing page turner of a book, Scott Westerfield introduces us to the strange, dystopian world of "Uglies." There are three other books in the series: "Pretties," "Specials," and "Extras." Although I didn't enjoy the other books in the series very much, it's kind of hard to not read them -- at the end of every book is a cliffhanger! While I cannot guarantee it will be your best read, it definitely is a book that is impossible to put down.

Appropriate for: younger teens, teens, and adults
Rating: good
                                               

"Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements

Being invisible would be so cool, right? You could sneak around, scare your friends, just have a good time. But what about when you go to bed? Or when you're trying to be normal with your family? What if you just want to do something as simple as check out a library book? Bobby Philips' life goes from normal to supernatural one night. Just when he thinks he is destined to have no friends for the rest of his life, he meets someone he can trust with his secret -- because she couldn't see him even if he hadn't been invisible. She was blind. This amazing thriller of a book puts the concept of invisibility in a new light.

Appropriate for: teens and adults
Rating: must read

"Crash" by Jerry Spinelli

We all know bullies are bad -- that's basically a fact of life. But what is it like from the bully's point of view? In the beginning, Crash, whose real name is John, has the same thought process anyone would expect from a bully. But then he starts to change when his grandfather, Scooter, has a stroke. Jerry Spinelli (author of "Eggs," "Maniac Magee," and many other amazing books) has done it again with "Crash" and crafted a wonderful and entertaining story with some surprising twists and turns.

Appropriate for: advanced young readers and early teens

Rating: pretty good

"A Friendship for Today" by Patricia C. McKissack

On the first day back to school, many people get that feeling in the pit of their stomach -- the irrational fear that no one will like them. For Rosemary Patterson, that fear is definitely not irrational. Why? Because she knows for certain that at least half the kids in her class will hate her before they even meet her. Because she is African American and the rest of her class is white. Because this is the 1950s. Rosemary must be a pioneer at her new school, Robertson Elementary, all by herself. I definitely recommend this story to all who enjoy learning about this period of history and to everyone (hopefully anyone reading this blog) who loves a great book.

Appropriate for: advanced young readers and early teens
Rating: pretty good

"Each Little Bird That Sings" by Deborah Wiles

You know a book is good if you cry while reading it. I mean like really, truly sob. Even if you don't like to cry in books, you should read this one. Comfort Snowberger, who is our main character (All of the characters in this book have funny and unique names -- that's one of the coolest parts), lives in a funeral home. It's true -- her family runs a funeral business. She thinks she knows how to deal with death. But does she really? Please (please, please, please) read the book to find out!


Appropriate for: advanced young readers and teens
Rating: Must read