"Badd" by Tim Tharp

Ceejay has always been close with her older brother, Bobby. He is charismatic, smooth and wild at heart. When he gets caught stealing a car, Bobby has to decide between jail and the army. Bobby has been serving in Iraq, and Ceejay misses him terribly. She is both stunned and thrilled when Bobby comes back to town early and unannounced. Something isn't quite right, his behavior is moody and he's not acting like himself. He doesn't want to associate with the family and he's heavily drinking and doing dangerous drugs. There is an old, hippie musician in town named Captain Crazy. He is known for his unusual art sculptures and erratic behavior. Ceejay sees him protesting the war, and she gets very defensive about her brother and his tour of duty. But when Bobby and the Captain develop an unlikely friendship, Ceejay tries her best to support him. Each family member has their own way to deal with Bobby's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Tharp also wrote "The Spectacular Now," which was a National Book Award Finalist. This is a powerful account of a family dealing with war in current times. It is well crafted and the characters are realistic and believable. There are lots of references to drugs and sex, but the main character Ceejay is pretty level headed and has disapproving perspectives on those behaviors.

"So Shelly" by Ty Roth

I love this cover. John Keats and Gordon Byron have little in common. Keats is academic, sensitive and comes from modest means. Bryon is wealthy, suave and his charismatic charm seduces women in abundance. What Keats and Byron share is a friendship with Shelly, a loudspoken, determined and fiesty young woman. Shelly drowns in a sailing "accident" and these two unlikely teens have been called upon to fulfill Shelly's last wishes. Their adventure begins when they steal Shelly's ashes from her memorial service. As they embark on this journey, they each share their stories of Shelly and her lasting impact. A pseudo love triangle is exposed and each guy becomes privy to her secrets she safely guarded. This book's characters are supposedly based on the writers John Keats, Mary & Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron. The book is somber, the characters decently developed, and it has an interesting premise. Abortion, incest and drug references are included, best for mature teens.

"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.

"Exposed" by Kimberly Marcus

Liz is a high school senior, and has special talent when it comes to photography. Her eye is able to capture intimate moments and her teachers think she has potential for a future at art school. Kate and Liz have been best friends for years. Liz is the photographer, and Kate is the dancer. Their friendship comes to an abrupt halt when Kate accuses Liz's brother of a heinous crime. Liz is torn between mourning the loss of her best friend, supporting her traumatized family, and deciding who is telling the truth. This book is a novel-in-verse, reads very smoothly and poetically, and I finished it in about 2 hours. "Exposed" is a wonderful read-a-like for fans of Ellen Hopkins or Laurie Halse Anderson. Mature subject matter.

See What I See

Kate's dad, Dalton Quinn, is a famous artist. He gained notoriety for his grisly paintings that shed a dark light on society's woes. His work has been on display in prestigious galleries throughout the world, and his reputation as an artist is both admirable and impressive. His qualities as a father, however, leave a lot to be desired. Dalton abandoned Kate and her mom years ago, so he could pursue his art, along with drinking and other women. Kate grew up in a trailer, while her mom worked extra hours to make enough to get by. When Kate grows up, she realizes she has her own art talent, enough to win a scholarship to art school in Detroit. And it just so happens that Detroit is where her estranged dad has been living. Kate is determined to repair their relationship. She's convinced that by showing up at his doorstep, her dad will take her in with open arms. Instead, she finds a grouchy, mean man, coming to terms with his own mortality. Their relationship is turbulent and awkward, but as Kate learns more about her father's condition, they learn to depend on each other for what it's worth.

Stick Figure - A Diary of My Former Self

Lori Gottlieb is 11 years old and lives in fabulous Beverly Hills . Her dad is a stockbroker, and her mom is your average housewife, obsessed with her weight, appearance, and shopping.

In school, Lori notices her friends starting to act weird. Instead of focusing on school and tests, everyone seems to be more interested in hairstyles, clothes and boys. Lori could care less.

Lori's mom is always trying to get her to work on her appearance. Her hair isn't exciting enough, and her clothes are not fashionable at all. Lori is constantly told that if her looks don't improve, she'll have problems finding a husband, and will have to go to secretary school.

Fed up with all of the interference in her life, and her parents' inability to listen, Lori starts a regime of strict dieting. She becomes obsessed with counting calories, reading diet books, and exercising. She finds herself repulsed by the thought of food, and is convinced she can gain weight by just smelling delicious foods.

Lori's parents become concerned when her weight drops dangerously low. They force her to see a psychiatrist, who doesn't seem to get Lori's logic. She is unwilling to follow her doctor's orders, and doesn't put on any weight. In face, her dieting gets worse, and she gets even skinnier, eventually resulting in hospitalization.

This is Lori Gottlieb's true story about her struggle with anorexia when she was 11 years old. Lori found her old diaries in her parents' house and pieced them together to form "Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self." This is a great read for anyone who enjoyed Laurie Halse Anderson's "Wintergirls." Lori entertains the inconsistencies between what society tells young girls to strive for, and what is healthy and good for our bodies.

Lanesha lives in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans. It's a poor neighborhood, and her family has never had much money. Her only family is her grandma, Mama Ya-Ya, since Lanesha's own mom died giving birth to her. Mama Ya-Ya makes her feel so special and loved, with homemade southern cooking, and plenty of together time. Mama Ya-Ya has a special gift, where she can see ghosts, and has magical healing powers that help the sick. Some of the neighbors are skeptical, but Lanesha knows it's true, because she has the same power to see ghosts, inlcuding her mom.

The weathermen on the news start to warn everyone that a big hurricane is headed for Florida. As the storm hits land, and moves closer to Louisiana, it grows in size, and everyone is told to evacuate. But Lanesha and Mama Ya-Ya have no money and nowhere to go. Mama Ya-Ya's health isn't doing so well. Lanesha is determined to take matters into her own hands, and help them survive. This storm may be more than they can handle!