Review of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Rating - 4
Young Adult

 When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.  Bad-boy Alex makes a bet with his friends that he can sleep with Brittany, but he soon realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. (Des. Amazon)

Elkeles flawlessly depicts the differences between the "haves" and "have-nots" at many urban high schools in this country, especially when gangs are involved. This story is full of tension and romance and probably ends better than it might in real-life, but it is an engaging read and high school students should definitely relate.

Review of Brutal by Michael Harmon

Rating = 4
Young Adult

When her surgeon-mother leaves LA and goes to South America on a charity project, 16 yr. old Poe Holly goes to live with her father in the small town of Bender. Poe has never met her father who also happens to be the school counselor at her new high school. Poe doesn't know why her parents divorced. She is a rebellious teen who doesnt' get along with her mother and blames her father for never being there for her. Poe meets two new friends...Theo, the son of the mayor and "Velveeta", a troubled teen who is the perpetual target of school bullies.  Poe soon realizes that a major bully at the high school is Colby Morris, star football player.  Colby is brutal and untouchable...his father is well-connected. Poe sets out to prove that Colby and his friends are responsible for a near-fatal attack on Velveeta, thereby putting her own life in danger.

Harmon does a good job of keeping the action moving. Brutal was hard to out down once started. The characters aren't fully drawn; it's very hard to understand the motivations and actions of Poe's parents. Poe's constant rants about the hypocrisy of the school and adults is a little over-the-top and not always believable...she gets pretty obnoxious sometimes. However, the issues are timely, the characters are likable and there is lots for teens to relate to.

Review of Exposure by Therese Fowler

Rating = 4
Young Adult

High school students Amelia Wilkes and Anthony Winter met when they were both in a high school play together. Their relationship grew deeper, cemented by their talent and love of theater. No one knows they are a couple because Amelia is the only daughter of an influential and powerful family in town and Anthony is a scholarship student at the elite private school they both attend. Amelia and Anthony have a plan to audition for entry into the New York University theater de4partment and work toward careers in theater. This is something Amelia's father will never condone, so they keep their plans and their relationship secret. As their love deepens, they become intimate and feel the need to be in constant contact...via e-mail, texting, phone or in person. When Anthony, at Amelia's request, takes photos of both of them naked, Amelia asks him to forward them to her computer. Her father finds the photos while browsing through her computer and has
Anthony arrested. The events that follow snowball completely out of control, affecting Amelia, Anthony and their parents and with almost tragic consequences.

Exposure is thought-provoking with its examination of the "sexting" phenomenon, especially among teenagers, and the posible legal consequences.

Review of Dead Is the New Black by Marlene Perez

Rating = 3
Young Adult

Everyone in Daisy's family is psychic... except her. She appears to be a "normal" like her father who mysteriously disappeared a year ago. Daisy's mother uses her talent to solve crimes and when teenage girls in the town of Nightshade begin to die mysteriously, Daisy decides to solve the case herself. She is aided in her task by her best friend Ryan. When she and Ryan discover that cheerleaders in their high school seem to be targets and the killer appears to be a particularly vicious form of vampire, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad to get investigate. Daisy soon finds herself in grave danger; Ryan is starting to become more than just a "friend; and most importantly of all, Daisy discovers she has some psychic talent after all!

This is a light, humurous and entertaining read. In general, I'm not a huge fan of the vampire genre, but this one was fun. The romance beween Ryan and Daisy is a realistic teen romance and the focus is more on psychic talent than vampirism. This is the first book in the "Dead Is..." series by Perez. Read by Suzy Jackson.

Review: Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rating - 4
Young Adult

Ashley Hanigan is a senior in high school and will just barely graduate if she serves all of her detentions and pays her library fines. As for her future plans, she and her boyfriend, TJ, are going to move in together after high school. TJ didn't finish high school...in fact, he was kicked out of high school. Ashley has no interest in any school activities, preferring to spend her time with TJ.  When one of the high school teachers steals the Prom funds, the students find out that the prom will be cancelled unless they can come up with the money to fund it. Ashley's best friend and head of the Prom committee, Natalia, is devastated but determined to have a prom no matter what. She ropes Ashley into helping her pull it off.  In the process, Ashley begins to realize that she really isn't a slacker after all...she has talents and skills and suddenly, leaving high school to live with TJ and work in dead end jobs her whole life doesn't sound so satisfying.
I don't think I've ever read a Laurie Halse Anderson book I didn't like. She understands the adolescent psyche and seems to speak their language. She is able to look at issues facing teens today and tell the story from their perspective. This book was written in 2005, but is just as relevant now.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The reader is Katherine Kellgren, who does a great job of being Ashley's voice (as well as all of the other characters).

Review: Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Rating - 4
Young Adult Novel

It is Caitlyn O'Koren's 16th birthday when her older sister, Cass, runs away. It is the beginning of her junior year of high school and all people can talk about is Cass. Cass was the "perfect" daughter...involved in everything, accepted at Yale, popular. Caitlyn has always been in her shadow, but she and Cass have always been close. With her parents focused on finding Cass, Caitlyn becomes "invisible". This is her chance to become the person she wants to be, away from the shadow of Cass. She joins the cheerleading squad with her best friend, Rena, something Cass never did. She doesn't really like it, but it's different. Then she meets Rogerson. He is so different from the jocks she and her friends hang out with. He is mesmerizing and maybe a little dangerous. He has a reputation for doing drugs and has been arrested before. Soon Caitlyn and Rogerson are spending all of their time together. Rogerson has easy access to the drugs he sells, and turns Caitlyn on to smoking pot. Then one day, when she turns up late for a date with him, he punches her in the face. It is shocking and painful and Caitlyn isn't sure what to do. She loves him. Afterwards, he is tender and loving toward her and promises it will never happen again. But it does, over and over again. Caitlyn hides it well, but she becomes a different person, hiding her bruises from everyone who cares about her. quitting the cheerleading squad, hanging out with Rogerson's friends, smoking pot. She needs to tell someone; she wants to talk to Cass desperately, but Cass is gone and Caitlyn is sliding away.

This book by Dessen is about 6 years old, but as always, right on the mark. The phenomenon of date abuse (not rape) is not openly discussed, but in fact 1 in 11 high school students report being abused on a date. Teens who read this should have their eyes open to the signs of someone being abused and what to do if you are the one abused. The teen characters are well-drawn and believable, and the story is still very timely.

Review: Payback Time by Carl Deuker

Rating = 4
Young Adult Novel

Mitch True is an overweight high school student who dreams of becoming a famous journalist. He is building his portfolio by writing for his high school newspaper. Assigned to the sports beat by the new editor, he is disappointed, but soon discovers a mystery surrounding one of the high school football players. If Mitch can sniff out the details, there could be a huge story involved with his name attached.

Payback Time is one of Deuker's best. The play-by-play accounts of the football games went right over my head, but football aficionados will love it. The story is told in Mitch's voice. a fairly typical high school senior who has a goal and is dogged in his pursuit of it. As his story evolves, he realizes that every story has two sides and sometimes there are consequences when the "truth" comes out.

Teenagers should enjoy the action and suspense. This one entertains until the very last page.