"No Passengers Beyond This Point" by Gennifer Choldenko

Life is turned upside down when three siblings are forced to move. Their house has gone into foreclosure, and the bank is taking the house away. India, Finn and Switzerland, a.k.a. Mouse, are all named after countries their mom wanted to travel to. But times are harder now, there's no money to travel, and she is forced to send them to live with Uncle Red. Life is so unfair.

Uncle Red lives in Colorado, and India is put in charge of Finn and Mouse on the plane ride. All is going well, until the plane hits some serious turbulence. When they land, a car is waiting for them, and takes them to a strange city called Falling Bird. But there is no sign of Uncle Red anywhere. Everything in Falling Bird seems to be a little too perfect. They have whatever they desire, and people are so excited they are there. Certain things seem out of place, and they soon realize there are many questions left to be answered. Getting home, or even leaving Falling Bird, may not be as easy as they think.

"Chime" by Franny Billingsley

“This isn’t a proper story, and I’m telling you, I ought to be hanged.” Briony is convinced she is a witch, and that her actions have cast evil upon her family. Her step-mother died and her twin sister is horribly ill, and Briony feels guilty for both. Years ago, Briony started a fire that destroyed the library in her family’s home, and everything she does seems to cast more hardship upon the ones she loves. Unfortunately, she can’t tell anyone she’s a witch, or else the local townspeople will hang her without mercy. Briony looks for solutions to her problems from the Old Ones, supernatural beings that haunt her local swamp. And when handsome Eldric comes to live in her village of Swampsea, Briony’s emotions overwhelm her and she’s forced to come to terms with her true identity.

"Bleeding Violet" by Dia Reeves

This book is whack. It’s really messed up. If you are looking for clean and uplifting, do not go anywhere near this book. But it’s also amazing… how did the author get these ideas into words?

Hanna is bi-polar and has not been taking her medication. She is prone to vivid hallucinations. Sometimes she even has conversations with her dead father.

Fed up living with her aunt, she bludgeons her on the head with a rolling pin, leaving her to die. Hannah then hitchhikes to Portero, where her biological mom is living. Hannah is ready to reconnect, but they haven’t seen each other in years, and they do not have a healthy relationship. It’s hateful, combative and destructive.

And that’s just the beginning chapters…

Hannah starts over in a new school where her hallucinations take on a new level. This town is not welcoming to visitors. Something (or someone) is living in the glass windows, the neighborhood is filled with mystical portals, and there is an abundance of body parts and blood everywhere. But is she really seeing things, or has everyone gone mad? And her mom is not acting like her normal, spiteful self. Something evil is contaminating their house.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Especially if you’re squeamish with blood, pus, and unidentifiable alien fluids. It’s raw, vulgar, and disturbing. But, there is a romantic vein when Hannah finds love and lust with her new boyfriend, Wyatt. He’s supposedly one of the “good guys.” But when people are possessed, demons are in the shadows, and charms work their magic, it’s hard to know who to trust. Luckily, Hannah excels at making irrational decisions. And, she has a horrific violent streak that she’s not afraid to use. The town of Portero needs to watch its back.

This book is geared towards teens. I would recommend for older teens, LOTS of violence, drugs and sex. Also good for adults!

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

It’s the middle of the night, and everyone in the house is sound asleep. Everyone that is, except for the man, Jack.

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

Jack murders the entire family, except for the baby boy. He makes a swift escape by crawling over his crib railing. He totters down the stairs, out the front door, and down the street to the nearby graveyard.

Citizens of the graveyard hold an emergency meeting to decide what to do with the child. Two of the cemetery’s dead inhabitants, Mr. and Mrs. Owens agree to adopt the orphaned toddler. They name him Nobody Owens, or Bod, for short.

Nobody is raised by ghosts, and tutored by wise and knowledgeable local residents. He’s given special privileges, normally reserved for the deceased, including haunting, dreamwalking and becoming invisible.

But Nobody’s childhood in a graveyard has its own challenges. Especially when the man who murdered his family is still on the loose, and out to finish the job.

This is a creepy, spine-tingling tale, filled with haunted crypts and menacing ghouls.

"Calamity Jack" by Shannon and Dean Hale

Jack (of beanstalk fame) is always trying to set things right, even when it involves stealing from the rich and powerful to teach them a lesson. He’s been in his fair share of trouble, especially when he decides to break into a certain giant’s house and steal some golden eggs. One tiny bean turns into a giant green tower, and Jack turns into a wanted man. He’s forced to leave his hometown, his mother, and ventures into the Wild West, where he joins forces with Rapunzel. Years pass, and Jack returns home, only to find the giant has taken over the town, and is holding his mother prisoner. Jack and Rapunzel join forces, and with the help of magic pixies, justice may finally be served.

This is a great retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, with an added punch of adventure and a surprising love triangle. Shannon and Dean Hale also wrote Rapunzel’s Revenge, another awesome fairy tale twist.

"The Maze Runner" by James Dashner

Thomas is hit with amnesia, when he wakes up in an elevator that delivers him to the Glade. The Glade is home to about 60 teenage boys, a contained environment, cut off from the outside world. They've been there about 2 years, but none of them have any recollection of how they got there, and they can't seem to find a way out.

The Glade is attached to a giant maze, whose gates open every morning and close every night. The maze is home to the terrifying Grievers, giant balls of metal and flesh, ready to eat anything, including boys who enter the maze.

The maze seems like a viable exit, yet attempts to navigate the labyrinth prove unsuccessful. It's hard to chart a map when your terrain keeps changing shape!

Supplies are mysteriously delivered to the Glade, and the boys are determined to survive.

Wierd things start to happen, including a girl arriving to the Glade, with a note explaining that everything is about to change. How did they get there? Who's in charge of this reality? Will they be able to find a way home?

If you liked The Hunger Games, you will LOVE The Maze Runner!

"Skulduggery Pleasant" by Derek Landy

Stephanie's was always fascinated by her Uncle Gordon. He wrote magical horror stories and lived in a strange mansion. After her uncle dies, Stephanie is shocked to find he left her his estate, complete with hidden passageways and dark secrets. It turns out her Uncle Gordon had access to another world, one where an ancient weapon holds all power and control. Stephanie is being hunted by an evil sorcerer who is searching for this weapon. Uncle Gordon kept weird company while he was alive. His old friend, Skulduggery Pleasant, shows up at his house, surprising Stephanie. Skulduggery is wise, clever and has awesome detective skills....the only problem? He's a skeleton! Let the crazy adventure begin. This is the first book in a new series by Derek Landy. His website has awesome trailers for the books, check it out at http://www.skulduggerypleasant.com/us/

"Wake" by Lisa McMann

Dreaming can be pretty amazing. What do they mean? Where they come from? How do you interpret them? 17 year-old Janie is ready to dream on her own. Ever since she was a little girl, she gets sucked into other people's dreams when they fall asleep around her. Watching other peoples' fantasies and nightmares can be both exhilarating and terrifying. Janie knows her special power is unique, and she's forced to keep this secret to herself. That is, until people in their dreams start reaching out to her to save them. Janie can tell her friend Cabel is in need of serious help, but does she want to get involved? This is a first novel for Lisa McMann, but the 2nd installment in the series, Fade, is already set for publication on February 10, 2009.

Best of all, Lisa McMann is hosting a special essay contest for teens aged 14-18 to help them fund their dreams. The grand prize is $1,000! Check out Lisa's website for details: http://lisamcmann.com/

"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!

"Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Imagine a world where everyone is born an Ugly. Then, when you turn 16, you undergo a radical operation to turn you into a Pretty. No flaws, perfect body, easy life....or so it seems. Tally meets a new friend Shay, who is determined not to have this surgery and encourages Tally to run away with her. The authorities catch up with them and force Tally to make a difficult decision - keeping her best friend or being an Ugly forever. Scott Westerfeld says he was inspired by reading "Liking What You See: A Documentary" by Ted Chiang. King County Library System has this story in a collection called Stories of Your Life and Others.

"Mister Monday" by Garth Nix

This is the first book in Nix's new series - "The Keys to the Kingdom." After nearly dying from a bad asthma attack, 7th grader Arthur is saved by a key shaped like a minute hand of a clock. Mister Monday is on a mission to get the key back. Arthur must venture inside a mysterious mansion, in which doors open onto alternate realms. The prophecy of The Will must be fulfilled and Arthur has been chosen to determine the fate of the universe. This is a great book for any fantasy lover - suspenseful and creepy!

"Kit's Wilderness" by David Almond

Kit Carlson and his family move to Stoneygate so his parents can help take care of his aging grandfather. Kit meets John Askew at school and is lured into a creepy game of Death. After school, a group of kids climb into an old mining pit. John Askew spins a knife, whoever it points at, they must die. The dead must remain in the pit, while the others wait outside for the dead to come back. This game becomes too real for Kit Carlson. Ghosts from mining disasters start to haunt Kit, in his dreams and while he's awake. This book spooked me out - big time. If you liked this book, you might also like "Skellig," written by the same author, David Almond.

"Elsewhere" by Gabrielle Zevin

After being killed in a bicycle accident, Liz finds herself on a cruise ship full of old people. This boat is going to Elsewhere, and Elsewhere is where you go when you die. But Liz isn't ready to be dead, she's supposed to be getting her driver's license and shopping for a prom dress. Elsewhere is a weird place, her dead grandma is there and everyone ages backwards until they turn into a baby. Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no difference than a life lived forward? Is life in Elsewhere really that different than life on Earth? To find out, read Elsewhere! Good for 8th grade and up. This book follows a similar plot line to "The Lovely Bones," but it's not as harsh in subject material.

"Un Lun Dun" by China Mieville

This is a great fantasy story for all ages. Two girls find themselves in an alternate reality, a backwards mirror image of London. Zanna discovers she is the "Shwazzy" or chosen one to save this mysterious city from being overtaken by an evil smog. Magical characters are everywhere including an evil umbrella and a pet milk carton. If you liked "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman, or "Alice in Wonderland," by Lewis Carroll, this book is for you! Recommended for 5th grade and up - your mom or dad might like it too!