"Shine" by Lauren Myracle

Black Creek, North Carolina is a small town where everyone knows everyone's business. Teenagers at the local high school have grown up together, and it's a tragedy when 17-year-old Patrick Truman is found brutally beaten outside the convenience store where he worked. What is more shocking is that Patrick appears to be the victim of a vicious hate crime. Police are searching for subjects but they have no lead, and no witnesses have come forward.

16-year-old Cat used to be best friends with Patrick when they were younger. She stopped being social with him a few years back...not because of his personality or sexual preferences, just because Cat felt more at home by herself and at church.

When Cat hears of the attack against Patrick, she is devastated. Some community members warn her to leave the issue alone, and some people are convinced that Patrick deserved what he got. Cat is determined to find the responsible person(s) and bring them to justice for the crime they committed. When she starts her investigation, certain members of her friends and community are exposed in unfavorable circumstances. A dark, meanacing problem is ravaging the young people in Black Creek, and its presence may have contributed to Patrick's assault.

This is a powerful, raw, violent book, but has many important messages regarding hate crimes and stereotypes. I would recommend for high school or mature readers. Heavy language and subject matter, but extremely well written.

"Glass" by Ellen Hopkins

This is the sequel to "Crank," the story of how Kristina Snow met the monster, or crystal methamphetamine. Kristina's taking care of her new baby, studying for the GED and attempting to get her life back on track. She finds herself in a dark depression and she turns to the monster for temporary relief. Her addiction escalates and spirals out of control. This is a heartbreaking story of Kristina's struggle with drugs, and how her negative choices damage her body and her relationships with those she loves, including her young son. Powerful and disturbing.

"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.

"Identical" by Ellen Hopkins

Identical twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne lead what looks like the perfect life. But appearances can be deceiving. Eight years ago, their father, a respected judge, was involved in a fatal car accident. Since the incident, their home life has been in shambles. Their mother is embarked on an ambitious campaign for congress, and is emotionally unavailable. Kaeleigh endures repulsive sexual abuse from her father, and turns to cutting and bulimia to stifle her pain. Raeanne rebels against her family and finds solace in drugs and promiscuity. Each twin tells her side of the story in alternating verse. This is raw emotion, and will draw the reader in, but not for the faint of heart. Best for 9th and up.

"Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines" by Nic Sheff

Oprah let me know about this one. She had both Nic and his dad on her show to talk about how drugs can tear a family apart. Nic grew up privileged in San Francisco, with all opportunities available to him. He took his first drink at age 11, and quickly started a downward spiral into deep addiction. This book is dark and gave me the creeps. No details are left out, so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with a queasy stomach, methamphetamines are not pretty. It really showcased the struggle of overcoming an addiction and how easy it can be to relapse. Nic's dad wrote his own memoir as well called "Beautiful Boy."

"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.

"Crank" by Ellen Hopkins

The book "Crank" is dark, really dark. But I have always liked dark and depressing books for some reason. Maybe it makes me realize my life is not so bad after all? Kristina snow is the perfect student, good kid, responsible. then she goes to stay with her dad for a summer and is turned onto what she calls the "monster" - crank. Crystal meth. Kristina's personality takes a turn for the worse as she starts to use this drug. She discovers her alter-ego - Bree. "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no kristina georgia snow. / there is only bree." Kristina is based on Ellen Hopkin's own daughter, and the language of the book is all in poetry and cool typeface designs. It looks thick, but I read it in a few days, not very many words on each page! If you like this, then you'll definitely like "Go Ask Alice," an anonymous diary, and you'd probably like "Cut," by Patricia McCormick.