The astonishing adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl by Barry Lyga

Summary: Fanboy's life sucks: the bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboys new little half-brother or sister. Fanboy, though, has a secret: a graphic novel he's been working on without telling anyone, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and a way out of the crappy little town he lives in. When Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, he finds an outrageous, cynical girl who shares his love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy cant resist someone who actually seems to understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice - to ignore or crush anyone who stands in his way.

Thoughts: Wow! To get inside a 15 year old boy's head is pretty rare, but Barry Lyga makes it seem so easy. I don't usually read books that have boys as the main characters, but Fanboy is irresistible. He's is so honest and funny and I totally loved his character. A really good insight into the lives of those who are bullied. The only downside of the book was the ending. It ended really abrubtly and I really wished the storylines had been wrapped up a bit better.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

American born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Summary: Tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this modern fable.

Thoughts: Fantastic. A graphic novel that explores the serious issue of racism. Jin's struggle to embrace his culture affects his friendships and his growth as a person. The struggle ensues because of how other students treat him and those around him who are of a different ethnicity.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Summary: About two teens thrust together for one sleepless night of adventure in a world of mix tapes, late-night living, and, live, loud music. Nick frequents New York’s indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and Norah is questioning all of her assumptions about the world. Though they have nothing in common except for their taste in music, their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to forget about their problems and ends up becoming the first date that could change both their lives.

Thoughts: S'alright. I didn't really feel for either character and was not cheering for either one of them by the time the novel ended. Nothing really happened and there was way too much swearing. I personally don't think that swearing is needed at any time and these authors felt the need to insert a swear word in almost every sentence.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5

The Memorist by M.J. Rose

Summary: As a child, Meers Logan was haunted by memories of another time and place, always accompanied by the faint strains of elusive music. Now the hand of the past has reached out again. An eighteenth century gaming box has been discovered and Meers recognizes it as the box that she spent years imagining.

Determined to unlock the mystery of the box, she travels to Vienna to find it. With each step, she comes closer to remembering the connections between a clandestine reincarnationist society, the lost Memory Flute linked to Ludwig van Beethoven, and to David Yalom, a journalist who knows all too well how the past affects the future.

Thoughts: I read The Reincarnationist also by M.J. Rose and really enjoyed the slow, but engaging mystery that was weaved. The Memorist follows along those same lines and doesn't disappoint. Even though I didn't buy the whole memory flute idea it didn't detract or lessen the story in any way. I'm not giving it a 4 out of 5 because I did feel that the link between Meers and David came way too late in the story. I felt that it should have been developed a lot earlier and a lot further.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Summary: When you don't talk, there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said. Harsh words indeed, from Brian Nelson of all people. But, D. J. can't help admitting, maybe he's right. Stuff like why her best friend, Amber, isn't so friendly anymore. Or why her little brother, Curtis, never opens his mouth. Why her mom has two jobs and a big secret. Why her college-football-star brothers won't call home. Why her dad would go ballistic if she tried out for the high school football team. And why Brian is so, so out of her league. Welcome to the summer that fifteen-year-old D.J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, learns to talk, and ends up having an awful lot of stuff to say.

Thoughts: Loved it! Picked it up because I had nothing else to read, but I'm glad that I did. D.J. is a super loveable character and you're rooting for her from the start. A lot of girls would be able to relate to her as she struggles with her self-confidence and new feelings. The only negative that I could think of was that I wished the characters had been fleshed out a bit more, but even that didn't detract from the story too much.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

The Summoning (Book 1: The Darkest Powers Series) by Kelley Armstrong

Summary: After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted Aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home. At first, Lyle House seems okay, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home Chloe begins to realize that Lyle House is not your typical group home…

Thoughts: Really good. For those who like supernatural elements, they'll love The Summoning. Chloe is a likeable character and Armstrong manages to keep us hooked and creeped out by what is happening at Lyle House...Can't wait for Book 2 of the series.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5