"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!

"Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia and Cassie have been best friends for years. They are competing against each other in a battle of will power, strength and determination to see who can get the skinniest. They were encouraging each other to self destruct and Cassie won.

Cassie died from complications from bulimia.

Being dead doesn’t stop Cassie from haunting Lia. Her ghost is following Lia and tempting her to join her on the other side. Cassie encourages Lia to self destruct, cutting and continuing to starve herself. Lia is forced into treatment by her parents, but it’s hard to recover when your best friend is telling you to self destruct.

"Ash" by Malinda Lo

The story of Cinderella has been retold hundreds of times, each with its own variation on the classic rags to riches story. My favorite version usually involves one of the step-sisters chopping off their toes to try to fit the magic slipper.

Ash has a fairly miserable existence. After her father's death, she is sent to live with her horrid stepmother and two spoiled brats for stepsisters. Forced to become a servant to them, her days are long and tiresome, and she dreams of escape.

But at least the house is nice. It's a grand estate set on the edge of the ancient Royal Woods. This is where Ash stumbles across the King's Huntress, Kaisa, and strikes up an unlikely friendship.

Ash spends most of her leisure time in the woods, and loves the tranquility and serene beauty. Some claim that a magical realm still persists in the depths of the woods. When she was little, Ash's mother read fairy tales to her, and some think her mother had a special connection to the fairy world

On one of her explorations, Ash meets Sidhean, her mystical fairy godfather. Sidhean provides Ash with enough magic to escape her stepfamily and attend the royal ball where the prince will choose his new bride.

Ash is torn between her friendship with Kaisa, her feelings towards the prince and finding her place in the universe, her reality or the fairy world.

A beautiful twist on a classic with a very surprising ending.

"The Color of Earth" by Kim Dong Hwa

This is the first in a trilogy from Kim Dong Hwa (Color of Earth and Color of Heaven are 2 & 3). Each chapter corresponds to a year in young Ehwa's adolescence in rural Korea. Ehwa lives with her widowed mother who runs a modest, but successful tavern. The story follows Ehwa and her explorations in lust and love as she navigates puberty. This elegant manhwa (Korean comic) details two women's relationships with men, and the gossip and attention they draw in their small village. Delicate drawings and elegant language work to make this a beautiful story. With all of the story's feminine characteristics, it was surprising to learn the author is a man. Good for 8th grade and up.

"A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge" by Josh Neufeld

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit land, causing over 1,800 deaths in Louisiana and Mississippi. The devastation from this storm, in conjunction with the breaks in the levees, continues to impact the South, and especially New Orleans.

In A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge, Josh Neufeld tells the true story of 7 individuals who were there to witness the events that took place during this disaster.

Some evacuated. Some stayed. Some survived. Some didn't. Some returned home. Some never did.

Neufeld's brilliant cartoons illustrate a city that is under attack, and its citizens under siege. A wonderful snapshot into the lives of true survivors, and their attachment to the people and city they love.

Some language, good for high school and up.

"Love You Hate You Miss You" by Elizabeth Scott

Amy was the only one to survive the car crash. She was the one who made them leave the party. She was the one who told Julia to drive. Amy feels responsible for killing her best friend.

Amy and Julia were inseparable. Julia was one of those amazing people. She had the best attitude, the coolest outfits and knew of all the great parties. They were a perfectly matched team and no one will ever be able to replace her.

Amy's parents made her go to rehab to deal with her alcohol problems. Her perfect parents are trying to be loving and encouraging, but Amy is frustrated by their attentive support.

Surviving high school without Julia is going to be impossible. Everyone knows about her drinking problems and what she did to her best friend.

How can you apologize to someone when they're no longer here?

"Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything In It" by Sundee T. Frazier

Brendan is into science. There are so many questions to find the answers to, and he keeps them all in his top secret notebook of scientific discovery. He is mastering the study of Tae Kwon Do, and is working on creating his own rock collection. Brendan is thrilled to meet Ed DeBose, who is a famous rock collector. He is even more excited when he learns that Ed is actually his long-lost grandpa! Brendan's parents don't want to talk about why Ed hasn't been part of the family. Can Brendan use his detective powers to solve the mystery?