Please enable JavaScript
All Books | Page 64 | LitPick Book Reviews
All Books
The Window Seat Manifesto
Heather Anastasiu
Synopsis:

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they're caught and deactivated, or worse.

In Heather Anastasiu's action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

Publication Date: 08/07/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Dear Blue Sky
Mary Sullivan
Synopsis: A timely, eye-opening novel showing how war affects families on both sides

Ever since her brother Sef left for Iraq, Cassie has felt like her life is falling apart. Her parents are fighting over her brother having gone to war. Her smart, beautiful sister is messing up. Her little brother, who has Down syndrome, is pretending he's a Marine. And her best friend no longer has time for her. In her loneliness Cassie turns to a surprising source of comfort: Blue Sky, an Iraqi girl she meets through her blog. The girls begin a correspondence and Cassie learns that when Blue Sky says "I want my life back," she means something profound, as she can no longer venture out in her destroyed city. Cassie takes strength from Blue Sky's courage and is inspired to stop running away from the pain, and to reclaim her life.
Publication Date: 08/02/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Haunting of Apartment 101
Synopsis: Jinx felt something rumble through the room. She began to shake and moved closer to Jackson. "Do you feel that?" she whispered. Jackson nodded. When Jinx glanced at him, his face had turned bright white. As if he'd seen a ghost. Jinx was a social reject who became a punked-out paranormal investigator. Jackson is a jock by day and Jinx's ghost-hunting partner by night. When a popular girl named Emily asks the duo to explore a haunting in her dad's apartment, Jinx is skeptical—but Jackson insists they take the case. And the truth they find is even stranger than Emily's story.
Publication Date: 08/01/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
The Normal Kid
Elizabeth Holmes
Synopsis: Sylvan has been angry ever since his parents split up. And now that an embarrassing photo has appeared in the paper, he's stuck with a lame nickname too.

Charity is back in the United States after several years in Africa. And she's learning that home can be a strange place when you've been away for a while.

Neither of them knows what's up with Brian. He spends whole afternoons alone on his trampoline.

From the first day of school, Sylvan knows he doesn't want to hang out with weirdos like Charity or Brian. He'd rather just be a normal kid. But when the principal gets ready to fire their favorite teacher, Sylvan, Charity, and Brian have to find a way to work together.
Publication Date: 08/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Shadow of Doubt
Norah McClintock
Synopsis: I looked at Ms. Denholm. Her face had turned milk-white. Is there a note in there? she said. I looked into the box again. It contained a dozen red roses. Nestled among them was a baby doll, splattered with what looked like blood but was probably red paint. Its head was missing.

Robyn's new substitute teacher Ms. Denholm is cool, pretty, and possibly the target of a stalker. When Denholm receives a threatening package, Robyn wonders who's responsible. But Robyn has a mystery of her own to worry about. What's with the muddled phone message she receives from her missing ex-boyfriend Nick? Should she try to forget him or is the call a sign he still cares?
Publication Date: 08/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Shot Down
Jonathan Mary-todd
Synopsis: When a bullet knocks Malik and the Captain's hot-air balloon out of the sky, Malik goes into wilderness survival mode. Actually, he's been in survival mode ever since the world fell apart. Whatever the crisis, he's always counted on the Gene Matterhorn Wilderness Survival Guidebook when things got crazy. Now he and the Captain are in the middle of miles of Kentucky wilderness, being chased by manhunters who believe hunting the weak is their post-apocalyptic duty. Malik is about to find out just how good his survival skills are.
Publication Date: 08/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Wizards of Wyrd World
Mike Gorman, Pamela F. Service
Synopsis: Josh Higgins and his sister Maggie have vowed not to use the alien gizmo that lets them visit other worlds. But when Josh's favorite writer comes to town, the temptation is too much. Along with famous author P.L. Cuthbertson, Josh and Maggie prepare to visit the land of Cuthbertson's books: Wyrd World.

As soon as the crew arrives, some of Wyrd World's thuggish locals mistake P.L. for a wizard and that's not a good thing. Josh and Maggie begin a rescue mission, sneaking through fortresses and dungeons. But to challenge the planet's evil rulers, they'll have to unite a group of rebels and outcasts who would just as soon fight each other. . . .
Publication Date: 08/01/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Vin and the Dorky Duet
Synopsis: When he walks through the door and sees the sharky grin on his sister's face, Vin rightly suspects Meg is hatching a plot. Worse still, he's central to the outcome. Meg tells him everyone expects him to play her duet for trumpet and piano at the student concert. Vin is horrified. His only escape is to persuade another trumpet player to take his place. Meg has the hunky Brad Stewart in mind, and she challenges Vin to introduce her to him. To do that he must first befriend Brad's nerdy brother, Eyeballs, the last person Vin wants to be friends with until Meg's promise of a David Beckham autographed soccer jersey changes the seventh-grader's mind. He has five days to accomplish his mission-Operation BS. Vin's game plan, thwarted by exploding fish tanks, magnetic compost heaps, man-eating bubble baths, and other disasters ultimately succeeds, but not exactly as he expects ...
Publication Date: 08/01/12
Age Level: 8 - 12
Genre: Fiction
Otherkin
Nina Berry
Synopsis: In her fresh, inventive debut, Berry introduces a teenage feline shapeshifter coming to terms with her strange powers in the first in a mesmerizing new series that deals with such teen issues as body image and the strength to be found in friendship.
Publication Date: 07/31/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Red Heart Tatoo
Lurlene McDaniel
Synopsis: At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded. Those who survive, struggle to cope with the loss and destruction. All must find new meaning for their lives as a result of something they may never understand.

Lurlene McDaniel's signature expertise and finesse in dealing with issues of violence, death, and physical as well as emotional trauma in the lives of teens is immediate and heartrending.
Publication Date: 07/24/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Heart of Stone
M. Welsh
Synopsis: After a wonderful summer of sailing, Verity Gallant just wants life to stay the same forever. But as she should know by now, not everything in life turns out as we would like. The land is shifting beneath the ancient harbour town of Wellow, causing mysterious caves to appear in cliff faces, terrifying rock falls, and dangerous landslides. And the earth isn't the only thing crumbling . . . Verity is thrilled that Jeb has returned, but their feelings for each other threaten her friendship with Henry and Martha.

Verity and her friends are embroiled in a tale of evil, intrigue, and lost love, as a powerful force works its way towards Wellow, hell-bent on putting an end to all happiness. The Heart of Stone is the key, and the race is on to find it.
Publication Date: 07/24/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Lighthouse Nights
Jake Vander Ark
Synopsis: Jules and Trevor take advantage of potential suicide victims by encouraging them and profiting off their deaths. When Jules falls in love with their seventh target, she's forced to make a series of life-or-death decisions and a single, impossible change. "Lighthouse Nights" is a frightening fairytale about haunting regret, maniacal hatred, the longing to create, and ultimate redemption. This fast-paced story is as touching as it is twisted, and highlights a disturbing new trend among American teens.
Publication Date: 07/23/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
On Fire: A Teen Wolf Novel
Synopsis: Based on the hit MTV series Teen Wolf—a teenage boy’s life changes forever after he’s bitten by a werewolf.

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE. JUST NOT THE GOOD ONES.

In Beacon Hills, a mountain lion is blamed for a spate of vicious attacks; Scott McCall wishes the cause was that simple. Unfortunately, hiding his werewolf identity, especially from Allison Argent, while fighting his need to shift, is only one problem. Keeping his mysterious, murderous Alpha off his back (literally), avoiding hunters, deciphering strange dreams about flames and impending doom . . . is really eating into lacrosse practice and hang-out time. So when Jackson Whittemore doesn’t show for his date with Lydia, Scott hopes that helping Allison track down their buddy will be simpler. Derek—whose hunger for vengeance blinds him to the dangers that lie in wait—and Stiles are also looking, but the worried teens’ search is leading right to the preserve from Scott’s nightmare. They aren’t the only ones in the woods, and their little trip starts looking less like a rescue mission and more like an elaborate trap—one that will force them to make the choice between killing and being killed. . . .
Publication Date: 07/17/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction
Poison Tree
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Synopsis: The rich stew of the author's creations—SingleEarth, vampires, shapeshifters, Tristes, the Bruja Guilds—are at full boil here in the story of two 20-ish young women trying to out run their very different pasts, and figure out where they fit in and who they might become. Each has landed in a more "normal" place, and each wonders if, like a tattoo that can't be covered up, they can ever really fit into "normal."
Publication Date: 07/10/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
The Scorpions of Zahir
Kelly Murphy, Christine Brodien-Jones
Synopsis: Zagora Pym has always wanted to be a desert explorer. Her father, Charlie Pym, is exactly that, and she's always loved to look over his maps of far away exotic places. One day she'd be trekking through the deserts of Africa and China, discovering hidden treasures from lost tribes. But Zagora would never have guessed that her chance to prove herself would come so soon. Like most adventures, it starts with a mysterious letter. The question is, how will this adventure end?

Zagora's dreams of desert exploration are about to come ture, but are she and her father and brother being followed? And will they ever make it back to civilization?
Publication Date: 07/10/12
Age Level: 12 and up
Genre: Fiction
Don't You Wish
Roxanne St. Claire
Synopsis: When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father--and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school. 

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire--if usually absent--father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilarating . . . and illegal. 

But on the insde, Ayla is still Annie.

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think.
Publication Date: 07/10/12
Age Level: Mature Young Adult
Genre: Fiction

Pages



RECENT BOOK REVIEWS