The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma

I sit here writing this nearly 10 hours after finishing the novel, it is still sticking with me.  This was a wonderfully told story about two best friends that are each a part of a terrible crime.  One of them is in a detention center while the other is free to live her life.  It becomes a ghost story as her past is there to make sure that her life is not as free as she believes it is.  While it is a ghost story, it is not a horror story, but this one will haunt your thoughts for quite a while after you put it down.  I highly recommend it!

From Amazon:

 “Ori’s dead because of what happened out behind the theater, in the tunnel made out of trees. She’s dead because she got sent to that place upstate, locked up with those monsters. And she got sent there because of me.”

On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement.

On the inside, within the walls of the Aurora Hills juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom.

Tying their two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries . . .

What really happened on the night Orianna stepped between Violet and her tormentors? What really happened on two strange nights at Aurora Hills? Will Amber and Violet and Orianna ever get the justice they deserve—in this life or in another one?

In prose that sings from line to line,Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and of innocence, and of what happens when one is mistaken for the other.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

What a beautiful story.  Ruta Sepetys gives us the story of a tragedy lost in history, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff.  The story is told from the vantage point of four different characters: a refugee trying to get back to her family, a young mother with a terrible secret, a German soldier with an inflated idea of his ability, and a German soldier who has decided he doesn't agree with what his country is doing.  They all come together seamlessly in this tale of tragedy.  Yet it is also a story full of hope for what the future holds.  She said something at ALAN that has stuck with me, and she says it again in the "Author's Note" at the end of the book: "History divided us, but through reading we can be united in story, study, and remembrance.  Books join us together as a global reading community, bu more important, a global human community striving to learn from the past.  This title isn't released until February 2, 2016, so if you are interested in reading it before then, let me know and you can read it now (I have 2 copies).

From Amazon:

For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See, international bestselling author Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies.

In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
Told in alternating points of view, and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson's critically acclaimed #1 New York Times bestseller Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff--the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

Damn this book!  When I finished it, I bawled like a baby.  Orbiting Jupiter is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.  We see this troubled child, Joseph, and we desperately want something good to happen to him.  He is placed with a loving family who helps him to trust and love again, but his desire to see the daughter he has never met becomes too great.  When his determination becomes too strong, it leads Joseph on a journey to find Jupiter and see her for the first time.  If you want to shed a few tears, this is the book for you!


From Amazon:

 The two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a juvenile facility, he’s placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine. Here Joseph, damaged and withdrawn, meets twelve-year-old Jack, who narrates the account of the troubled, passionate teen who wants to find his baby at any cost. In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires.

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

The tag line for this book is "The closer you look, the more you see."  It is a line that is repeated several times throughout the book, and for good reason.  This book is based on the terrible events that took place in Steubenville, Ohio in 2012.  It was a powerful read and makes an important point about the culture of high school sports and the importance it has, especially in small towns.  I really feel this is a book that is important for kids to read.  Aaron Hartzler does a wonderful job of making us question what should really be important in our schools and makes us take a look at how victims are treated, especially when those who have been accused are the people we know.  In the end, it is a powerful lesson about being strong enough to do the right thing. 

From Amazon:

Critically acclaimed memoirist Aaron Hartzler, author of Rapture Practice, takes an unflinching look at what happens to a small town when some of its residents commit a terrible crime. This honest, authentic debut novel—inspired by the events in the Steubenville rape case—will resonate with readers who've ever walked that razor-thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred and forty characters at a time.
The party at John Doone's last Saturday night is a bit of a blur. Kate Weston can piece together most of the details: Stacey Stallard handing her shots, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early. . . . But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills's shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn't have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate's classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can't be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same questions: Who witnessed what happened to Stacey? And what responsibility do they have to speak up about what they saw?
National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti calls What We Saw "a smart, sensitive, and gripping story about the courage it takes to do what's right."

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King

Wow!  This one was such a great read.  As King will tell you herself, it is weird and strange, but so powerful.  You have to just let this one sit for a while after reading it.  It is a story told by four teenagers.  The each have their own oddity about them, such as China who has swallowed herself.  Each of these kids has dealt with some form of trauma in their lives and are trying to figure out how to deal with it and be able to live a normal life.  It is a wonderfully told story that is not only powerful, but so important.  It is a book that so many kids should read about dealing with the trauma of their lives and crawling through it to come to a better place.  I can't recommend this book enough!

From Amazon:

Four teenagers are on the verge of exploding. The anxieties they face at every turn have nearly pushed them to the point of surrender: senseless high-stakes testing, the lingering damage of past trauma, the buried grief and guilt of tragic loss. They are desperate to cope, but no one is listening.

So they will lie. They will split in two. They will turn inside out. They will even build an invisible helicopter to fly themselves far away...but nothing releases the pressure. Because, as they discover, the only way to truly escape their world is to fly right into it.

The genius of acclaimed author A.S. King reaches new heights in this groundbreaking work of surrealist fiction; it will mesmerize readers with its deeply affecting exploration of how we crawl through traumatic experience-and find the way out.

Diary of a Haunting by M. Verano

I was really excited to read this one.  I don't read a lot of horror, but I love a good ghost story.  The cover of this book really grabbed my attention.  I wish the rest of the novel would have done the same.  It wasn't the worst book I have ever read, but it wasn't what I was hoping for.  With the exception of the "Editor's Note" and the Afterword, it is told exclusively through the journal of Paige Blanton.  She has moved to a small town in Idaho, with her mom and little brother, after her parents got divorced.  The house they live in is very old and as we learn later has an interesting history.  Weird things happen in the house, like cell phones acting up and groceries disappearing, but nothing too frightening.  Sure, there were some scenes in the book that were a little creepy, but these had to do more with spiders and flies than anything supernatural.  If you are looking for a decent story about a weird house and it's history, give it a try.  If you are looking for a great ghost story, you may want to look elsewhere.

From Amazon:

 In the tradition of Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, an American teen recounts the strange events that occur after she moves into a new—and very haunted—home with her family in this chilling diary that features photos and images of what she experienced.

Letters, photographs, and a journal…all left behind in the harrowing aftermath.

Following her parents’ high-profile divorce, Paige and her brother are forced to move to Idaho with their mother, and Paige doesn’t have very high hopes for her new life. The small town they’ve moved to is nothing compared to the life she left behind in LA. And the situation is made even worse by the drafty old mansion they’ve rented that’s filled with spiders and plenty of other pests that Paige can’t even bear to imagine.

Pretty soon, strange things start to happen around the house—one can of ravioli becomes a dozen, unreadable words start appearing on the walls, and Paige’s little brother begins roaming the house late at night. And there’s something not right about the downstairs neighbor who seems to know a lot more than he’s letting on.

Things only get creepier when she learns about the cult that conducted experimental rituals in the house almost one hundred years earlier. The more Paige investigates, the clearer it all becomes: there’s something in the house, and whatever it is…and it won’t be backing down without a fight.

Library of Souls: The Third Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

It took me a while, but I have finally finished the third and final book in the Miss Peregrine's series.  If you are a fan of the first two books, you will love this one just as much.  It is action packed, as Jacob and Emma try to save all of Peculiardom.  We finally see the full extent of Jacob's powers, but we also see all the power the wights are trying to harness in order to rule the world.  As in the previous books, the pictures play a wonderful part of this novel and Ransom Riggs is able to weave a wonderful tale while using the pictures in a stunning way.  This one will stick with you for a while.

From Amazon:

Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever. . . . Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be? This action-packed adventure features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs.