Nightshade by Andrea R. Cremer

Calla and Ren's destiny's have always been intertwined. At birth they were matched by the Keepers, and when they turn 18 they will be mated. Both alphas, they will then begin to form their own pack, patrolling the area to watch for and prevent an attack by the Searchers. Calla has always known this, but as Samhain, and her birthday, gets nearer she finds herself...restless. When she discovers an injured hiker while on patrol she starts down a path that will expose the deeply hidden history of the Guardians, Keepers and Searchers, and drive Calla away from everything she's ever known.

This novel was a refreshing twist on the werewolf theme. Though there are definite Twilight overtones, the heroine is much stronger and the plot is more thrilling. I stayed up late reading this book and absolutely cannot wait until the next book is published!

The Joshua Files: Invisible City by M.G. Harris

Josh's father has been reported dead in a plane crash. He had been searching for a lost Mayan Codex, a book that many  disappeared trying to find. And when the news comes in that Josh's dad died of strangulation before the plane crashed, Josh knows he has to go to Mexico to find the truth.

This first novel in the action-packed Joshua Files brings Josh to the depths of the Mexican jungle and into a secret society existing beneath an ancient Mayan Pyramid. Sucked into a vortex of intrigue, Josh becomes a target for danger as he learns that his family holds the key to solving the mystery of the 2012 prophecy. Can Josh find the missing codex in time to save mankind?

~from publisher's description

Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

Timothy and Stuart have been best friends since grade school, but lately Stuart has been getting kind of obnoxious and negative. When Timothy accidentally chooses the new girl, Abigail, as his project partner Stuart is furious. He won’t talk to Timothy and begins tormenting Abigail, who just wants to be left alone by everyone. Then Stuart really starts freaking out. At swim practice he insists a monster is in the pool waiting for him. Then he practically drowns. Timothy and Abigail have also been experiencing some weird phenomenon – all of which is connected to their deepest fears. A little digging and they find out it all started with Abigail’s grandmother, her best friend’s disappearance, an evil professor and a powerful curse that has travelled down through the generations to Abigail herself. To unravel the curse Abigail and Timothy must find an ancient jawbone and destroy it before all of their worst fears come to life.

Three Black Swans by Caroline B. Cooney

Missy, a sophomore, and her cousin Claire, a junior, have always been close. Closer than cousins. More like sisters, really. And as they’ve grown older people have started remarking on their similarities. Though Missy is energetic and outgoing where Claire is somber and quiet the two girls are almost identical in appearance. They’ve always laughed about it. Until the day Missy hears a radio program on sisters separated at birth. Until she dreams up with a hoax that really isn’t a hoax. Until the day her dramatic video airs on YouTube and people nationwide are discovering what the girls have always secretly suspected – they aren’t cousins but identical twins.

When Genevieve sees the video she’s shocked. She watches herself on the computer screen, sees her smile, hears her voice and even recognizes the small gestures the two girls on screen make. How can there be two more Genevieves?

Could it be possible that Missy and Claire aren’t twins but two thirds of triplets?

Caroline B. Cooney writes intriguing novels that explore relationships. Like The Face on the Milk Carton, Three Black Swans delves into the minds of teens who find out that the people they’ve called Mom and Dad for sixteen years are strangers. Shaken to the core they begin to question their existence and long to know the truth. What they learn is that the truth isn’t always nice and family isn’t necessarily what’s on your birth certificate.

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Catherine "Cat" Locke is a major science geek. This year she's even taking Mr. Fizer's Special Topics in Research Science class - a class known to cause stress overload in even the best students. And they don't even get to pick their own topic. They must blindly choose a photograph from Fizer's desk and base their project on that photo somehow. So Cat, who spent the summer studying fig wasps, is horrified when she pulls an illustration of Homo erectus - "Early hominins from 1.8 millions years ago." She now has until the end of class to write down a preliminary project idea and turn it in. How in the world can she base an entire year's research project - and science project final - on this?!?!

Eureka!

By the end of class Cat has her answer. It will involve Cat becoming her own science experiment. It will mean giving up the conveniences of modern life and most of the foods she loves. But if she succeeds, it will be one heck of a project. It might even beat Matt McKinney's (as if she cared about things like that).

This story is not about a fat girl losing weight and becoming popular, getting the guy, and ruling the school. It's a story about a girl taking control of her life for an unusual reason, but in the process becoming stronger, more confident and healthier. While her decisions may or may not be ones the rest of us are willing to make, they are definitely inspiring. I highly recommend this title!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Thomas arrives in the Glade with no memories of his time before. But strangely, things are familiar: the gray walls, the maze, the Grievers with their poison and knives, the Changing, the grounds of the Glade. Somehow, Thomas knows he's the only one who can get everyone out of the Maze. The Maze that has contained them for over two years...

If you enjoyed The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, you will love this book. It has the same plot of survival and leadership, but the circumstances and elements are entirely new and inventive. I highly recommend this one!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver is an interesting twist to the werewolf story. The wolves aren't monsters, at least, not any more than most humans, and they don't turn to wolves during the full moon. Instead the shift is dictated by temperature. Warm, sunny months are human where the chill of winter is wolf. As time goes on, time spent human becomes shorter and shorter, until eventually there is nothing but wolf time. This is Sam's last summer in human form. And it's the summer he finally gets to know Grace. It's the summer they officially fall in love, though they've loved each other long distance and inter-species for years. But in a few weeks it will all be over...unless they can figure out a way for one of them to permanently join the other's species for good.

I started this one on audiobook, then switched to hardback to finish it off. Audiobooks just don't go as fast as my eyes/brain, and I get frustrated - desperately wanting to know how the situation is resolved and how it all ends. If this describes you, too, check out the book so you can race to the end and find out who loves, who loses, and who finds a new form!

 

FYI: The sequel to Shiver, Linger, comes on on July 20th!