Blue Bloods by Melissa De la Cruz

De la Cruz. (2006). Blue Bloods. NY: Hyperion.
ISBN: 978-0786838929
Awards:ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers - Top Ten (2007)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2007)
Genre: Fantasy
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Escape, Independence, Orphan
Annotation: Schuyler Van Alen is young, beautiful, attends a prestigious private high school, and is a vampire. She and her human friend, Oliver, are racing to solve the mystery of the death of another young vampire, because everyone knows - vampires can't die.
Summary: Schuyler Van Alen doesn't quite fit in with the other kids at her prestigious private New York high school. While all the other teens are obsessed with name brands, knowing the "right" people, and being in the "right" places, Schuyler is wearing layered thrift store clothes and hanging out at home with friend Oliver. Then, on her 15th birthday, everything begins to change. Intricate blue lines appear on her forearms, she begins craving raw meat, and has dream like visions of a time long ago. Soon, Schuyler discovers that she is a Blue Blood, a vampire, like most of the other kids in her school. While Schuyler struggles to grasp this reality, a young vampire is killed and no one knows why, or how. Schuyler, Oliver, and friend Bliss rush to solve the mystery before another vampire dies.
Evaluation: I enjoyed this story. While I think it is a little heavy on the name brand dropping, the historical and religious themes wound in with vampire lore is fascinating.

Lush by Natasha Friend

Friend, Natasha. (2007). Lush. NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.
ISBN: 978-0439853477
Awards: Rhode Island Teen Book (2008)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2007)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Alcoholic Parent, Secrets, Family, Friends
Genre: Fiction
Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Samantha's dad is an alcohlic. While dealing with school, boys, and a maturing body, Sam must also cope with her family's secret.
Summary: Samantha is a typical 13 year old in that she has to deal with middle-school, having crushes, and being embarrassed by her maturing body. What isn't typical is her family's secret - her father is an alcoholic. Sam's mother and grandmother push her to have compassion for her father, but Sam isn't so sure. With this weighing on her shoulders, and not being able to talk to her friends, Sam begins trading notes with an anonymous person in the library. She reveals her secret, asks questions, and receives some honest, but hard truths. Everything comes to a head, though, when Sam's father smashes a bottle of Jim Bean on Sam's little brothers face.
Evaluation: I really liked this book. I'm not usually a fan of problem literature, but I chose to read this one because it addresses a fairly common family issue. It is a fast read and doesn't dwell on mellowdramatics. And despite the alcoholism and act of violence, Sam's family is loving, if not a little misguided.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Pearson, Mary. (2008). The Adoration of Jenna Fox. NY: Henry Holt and Co.
ISBN: 978-0805076684
Awards: Andre Norton Award Finalist (2008)
Golden Kite Award (2009, honor recipient)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2009)
Locus Recommended Reading (Young Adult, 2008)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2008)
Book Sense Summer Pick Teen Readers (2008)
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: Family, Fitting In, Medical Ethics, Survival, Car Accident
Genre: Science Fiction
Annotation: Seventeen year old Jenna Fox wakes up after spending 18 months in a comma. While she cannot remember anything of her early life, she is plagued by frightening flashes and slowly learns the truth of her existence.
Summary: Jenna Fox wakes up from a comma without any memories of her past. She is living in a broken down house in a small forested neighborhood with a mother and grandmother she doesn't recognize. Flashes of memories come to her as she watches video after video of her childhood-her parents way of helping her remember who she is. As the days go by, Jenna learns more about the mysterious accident that should have killed her and the lies her mother and father have been telling her.
Evaluation: I have to admit that I am a fan of science fiction and enjoyed this story quite a bit. Jenna puts things together pretty quickly without very much information, but this is easy to overlook. I love the weaving in of Henry David Thoreau's Walden Pond; it gives the story another level of depth and emotional honesty.