"All These Things I've Done" by Gabrielle Zevin

Imagine not being able to buy chocolate or coffee! It's the year 2083 and the government has outlawed both. But Anya is able to get as much chocolate as she wants, since her family is involved in selling it on the black market. But when her ex-boyfriend is hospitalized by a bad batch of chocolate, Anya is wrongly charged with trying to poison him. When all of your relatives are criminals, people get suspicious! There is a new boy at school, Win, and Anya finds herself falling for him. The only (big) problem is that he's the District Attorney's son. And he doesn't want him family involved in anything criminal. This is the first installment in a new series called "Birthright."

"Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott

I read this book in one day; it was impossible to put down. This story is every parent's worst nightmare. Alice was abducted by Ray when she was 10 years old, and for the last 5 years has been terrified for her life and that of her family. Ray subjects Alice to obey his every command, and Alice has to numb herself to be able to cope with her situation. Ray is damaged from emotional abuse from his own mother. Ray is evil to the core and his relationship with Alice sent shivers down my spine. I cringed when Alice is forced to do the unthinkable. Mature subject matter.

"Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go" by Dale Basye

Marlo Fauster is a troublemaker and this time she's really done it. After a shoplifting spree at a local mall, Marlo and her brother Milton die in a horrific marshmallow explosion, and are sent to Heck - where the bad kids go. Heck is actually a reform school, filled with mischievous children. Milton is mortified, he's always followed the rules, he should not be held captive in this limbo. Life in heck is horrible and the creepy principal and teachers are determined to keep it that way. Evil bullies, cold liver and bathroom bile will gross you out and make you squirm. The dead biology teacher has students dissect her own body in class, ewwww! This is Mr. Basye's first book, 8 others are scheduled for the series, one for each level of heck!

"Son of the Mob" by Gordon Korman

Vince Luca's finally gotten Angela to go out with him. They're at the beach, things are going well, and Vince heads for the trunk of his car for a blanket. Something's not right. Inside the trunk is Jimmy the Rat, bound and gagged and barely alive. This is what happens when your dad's the powerful head of organized crime.

Vince Luca just wants to be normal at his high school. Good luck. People are scared of his dad, and should be if they want to keep all their limbs!

Vince falls for a new girl, Kendra. She's got it all, looks, brains, personality. Only problem is her dad. He's an FBI agent out to get Vince's father.

"Always Running - La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A." by Luis J. Rodriguez

This powerful memoir recounts Rodriguez's youth as a gang banger in the barrios of East L.A. in the early 1960's. He served time in prison for attempted murder, had near-death experiences involving crack and heroin, and witnessed the premature death of many friends and neighbors. His language is raw and powerful, this autobiography was written to help deter his own son from following in his gang footsteps. Rodriguez found support within his community, and was able to break free of his gang activity. He is now a leading Chicano author. "Always Running" won a Carl Sandburg Literary Award, and was a New York Times Notable Book. In 1999 the American Library Association called Always Running one of the 100 most censored books in the United States.

"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

Steve Harmon is in big trouble, BIG. He's awaiting trial in prison, charged as an accomplice to murder. Steve tells his story as a play, where he's the lead role. Life in prison is rough and brutal, and this novel is the same. Recommended for high school. Winner of the Printz Award.