"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.

"Anatomy of Wings" by Karen Foxlee

Jenny was enamored with her older sister, Beth. Beth had grace, charm and beauty, and made everything appear effortless. In this novel, Jenny recounts their adolescence in a small, Australian mining town. Their neighbors and family watch Beth self-destruct, as she morphs from an innocent young girl into a mischievous delinquent. Spiraling out of control, Beth is earning an unfavorable reputation around town, and her parents are out of ideas on how to tame their wild daughter.

Beth dies from an accidental fall from the town’s water tower and the family is hit hard by grief. Jenny loses her singing voice, their spiritual grandmother becomes estranged from the family, and her parents are on the brink of splitting up. Someone in town knows what was going through Beth’s head before her untimely death. Jenny is determined to piece together the clues, relying on a box of Beth’s keepsakes.

Being a teenager doesn’t last forever, but it sure can feel permanent when you’re living it. Beth’s premature death is a reminder of the struggle of adolescence and the mindset of youth. This is a captivating coming-of-age novel, good for 8th grade and up.

"Does My Head Look Big in This?" by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Amal attends a highly prestigious prep school in Australia. She comes to the decision to wear the hijab, a Muslim head scarf, as a sign of her religion. How will Amal's friends and family react? This is a great book about friendship, faith, and coming to terms with your personal beliefs. Recommended for grades 7th and up.