"Stolen" by Lucy Christopher

"Stolen" is the best teen book I've read this year! Gemma is killing time at the Bangkok airport where she's waiting to leave on a family vacation. While ordering coffee, she meets a super cute boy. This guy Ty is charming and handsome, and insists on buying Gemma her drink. What Gemma doesn't realize is that Ty has drugged her coffee. Before she can understand what is happening, Ty is able to change her appearance, alter her passport, and board her on another flight, to another distant country. Gemma has been kidnapped by a man who knows her better than she realizes. He has thought of everything in advance, plotting the abduction for years. When she regains consciousness, Gemma has no clue where she is, or how anyone will ever be able to find her. Her captor swears he won't hurt or harm her, but how do you believe someone who's stolen you? "Stolen" is the first novel from Lucy Christopher, an Australian author. Beautifully crafted as a letter to her captor, Gemma is able to articulate the horrors of her abduction, as well as her sympathies towards a confused and deranged man.

"Exposed" by Kimberly Marcus

Liz is a high school senior, and has special talent when it comes to photography. Her eye is able to capture intimate moments and her teachers think she has potential for a future at art school. Kate and Liz have been best friends for years. Liz is the photographer, and Kate is the dancer. Their friendship comes to an abrupt halt when Kate accuses Liz's brother of a heinous crime. Liz is torn between mourning the loss of her best friend, supporting her traumatized family, and deciding who is telling the truth. This book is a novel-in-verse, reads very smoothly and poetically, and I finished it in about 2 hours. "Exposed" is a wonderful read-a-like for fans of Ellen Hopkins or Laurie Halse Anderson. Mature subject matter.

See What I See

Kate's dad, Dalton Quinn, is a famous artist. He gained notoriety for his grisly paintings that shed a dark light on society's woes. His work has been on display in prestigious galleries throughout the world, and his reputation as an artist is both admirable and impressive. His qualities as a father, however, leave a lot to be desired. Dalton abandoned Kate and her mom years ago, so he could pursue his art, along with drinking and other women. Kate grew up in a trailer, while her mom worked extra hours to make enough to get by. When Kate grows up, she realizes she has her own art talent, enough to win a scholarship to art school in Detroit. And it just so happens that Detroit is where her estranged dad has been living. Kate is determined to repair their relationship. She's convinced that by showing up at his doorstep, her dad will take her in with open arms. Instead, she finds a grouchy, mean man, coming to terms with his own mortality. Their relationship is turbulent and awkward, but as Kate learns more about her father's condition, they learn to depend on each other for what it's worth.