Norah Piehl

The course of true love, as Shakespeare wrote, never did run smooth, and nowhere is that truth more apparent than in Holly Goldberg Sloan’s debut novel, I’ll Be There. From the moment Emily—wracked with nerves while (badly) singing a solo at church—spots a scruffy but undeniably handsome boy in the back pew, her heart is his. And Sam, quiet and mysterious though he is, seems to really like her, too.

Sam and his near-mute little brother, Riddle, are taken aback by the generosity, kindness and normality of Emily’s family. After all, the only lessons they’ve learned on the road with their violent, thieving father are, according to Sam, “if you cared about something, it would be taken away. If you stood up for yourself, you would be beaten down. If you spoke out, you would be silenced.” The two boys have learned to keep secrets, stay out of the way and look after each other. So when they’re forced to go on the move again, can Sam find his way back into a normal life—and real love?

Holly Goldberg Sloan might be a first-time novelist, but she’s an experienced writer and director of many popular family films. No surprise, then, that I’ll Be There has a cinematic feeling, rapidly shifting setting and perspective in a free indirect style that helps reinforce the novel’s themes of interconnection. Are coincidences meaningful? What motivates people to help others, become friends, fall in love? Can those who have been deeply damaged seize a fresh start? Emily and Sam’s journey is a rocky one—literally so, for Sam—but it’s also romantic, heartfelt and deeply satisfying.

Over the course of her high school career—and three previous novels—Ruby Oliver has developed quite a reputation, at least in her own mind. She’s the unstable girl, the one who has to see a shrink, the constant worrier who’s prone to panic attacks. As readers have also discovered, however, Ruby’s also very, very funny, a hyper-verbal observer of high school and family life, and a vulnerable, endearing heroine who’s both realistically flawed and thoroughly likable.

Not surprisingly, as Ruby starts her senior year in Real Live Boyfriends, her life is in crisis yet again. Senior year’s scary for everyone; Ruby compares it to being on the edge “of this precipice . . . of the end of high school, of college, of love, of scary, complicated, adult-type relationships.” As if that weren’t frightening enough, her parents are both acting less mature than Ruby herself, her friends can’t be trusted, and her very own “real live boyfriend” has come back from New York all cagey and weird. When Ruby’s the most level-headed person in her life, something must be very wrong. Or maybe Ruby’s just discovering that she might have to rewrite her own opinion of herself after all.

E. Lockhart’s novels featuring Ruby Oliver have all been startlingly perceptive, genuinely poignant and extremely funny. Ruby’s genuine empathy and whip-smart narration belie her many self-doubts. Readers long ago figured out that, in spite of everything, Ruby Oliver was going to be just fine; now, in the fourth and final volume in her story, Ruby’s finally figuring that out, too.

Phoebe is the youngest in a long line of Rothschilds, the eminent Jewish family that, over the course of more than 200 years, has attained wealth, power and a degree of protection even as the world has been in turmoil around them. Everyone agrees that the Rothschilds are an extraordinary family, filled with those, like Phoebe’s mother Catherine, who hold positions of power and prestige.

But what if Phoebe is nothing special? Just ordinary? Would she still be worthy of her family’s name? These questions haunt her, especially once she meets Mallory, an odd new girl at school who seems desperately in need of Phoebe’s friendship and support. By the time the girls are juniors in high school, they are more like sisters than friends. Phoebe is sure nothing could separate them—that is, until Mallory’s aloof, alluring brother Ryland moves to town. Phoebe falls under his spell, and Mallory must stand by, helpless, as Ryland not only drives the best friends apart but does his best to destroy Phoebe’s self-confidence.

For Mallory, too, is complicit in Ryland’s devious plans, as the otherworldly siblings intend to use Phoebe to fulfill a longstanding debt owed to the inhabitants of Faerie by one of Phoebe’s Rothschild ancestors. When faced with a horrific choice, will Phoebe prove herself extraordinary? And can the girls’ friendship endure through the lies and betrayal?

With Extraordinary, Nancy Werlin, long known for her Edgar Award-winning suspense novels, returns to the faerie realm she first began to explore in her last novel, Impossible. Both books stand alone but share thematic interests in human responsibility, loyalty and the persistence of history. Werlin adeptly explores the interconnections between the realms of humans and faeries, creating not only a rich fantasy world but also an examination of family, religious heritage and friendship that transcends genre. Werlin’s faerie novels are haunting, suspenseful and provocative; readers are sure to hope for another opportunity to venture with her into the faerie realm.

Bee should feel like the luckiest girl in the world: She’s a first-year student at Columbia University, pre-med; she lives in New York City; and she’s got a handsome, older, politically active boyfriend who seems really into her. Until . . . he’s not. Suddenly, Bee’s book smarts don’t mean a thing, and in traditional broken-hearted fashion, she’s stuffing her face when she’s not crying her eyes out.

Turns out, though, that gaining the Freshman Fifteen (plus some) is exactly what Bee needs to break into a whole new career. She’s always been a pretty girl, but the newly curvalicious young woman is getting a lot more attention—even from a modeling scout. Virtually overnight, Bee not only has a modeling contract; she’s also being featured as one of the faces (and voluptuous bodies) of an ad campaign for a new clothing line, with her own billboard in Times Square.

But will fame turn Bee’s head? In her new jet-setting lifestyle, will she forget about her best friend, not to mention the very cute and talented guy she tutors, with whom she has a seriously confusing relationship? And what about the cutthroat world of modeling? Does Bee have what it takes to make a name for herself?

Thanks to popular television shows like America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway, the glamorous but grueling world of modeling has never been so in the spotlight. Author Veronica Chambers cleverly capitalizes on the Cinderella-story potential of an overnight discovery while also using Bee’s plus-sized physique to comment on industry and societal standards of beauty.

At times Plus goes over the top in its depictions of Bee’s glamorous new life, especially her ongoing feud with a crazily jealous model and her klutzy on-set mishaps. It’s also hard to believe that Bee could remain on the dean’s list at an Ivy League school while jetting to international photo shoots several days a week. But Bee’s story is, after all, a fantasy, and readers looking for a frothy beach read about wish-fulfillment, self-discovery and really fierce shoes will be more than happy to suspend disbelief.

Have you ever wondered what’s happening in your neighborhood when most people are asleep? Popular teen novelist Sarah Dessen has, especially after recently becoming a mother and seeing lots more of those wee hours than she used to. In Along for the Ride, Dessen vividly imagines the very different, but intersecting, lives of two of those late-night denizens.

Perpetually high-achieving Auden West has been an insomniac ever since her parents’ divorce. At first, she’s planning to spend the sleepless nights of the summer after senior year getting a jump on her college reading list and spending time with her high-powered academic mother. But somewhere between econ and calc, the invitation from her father and stepmother to spend the summer with them and their infant daughter starts to seem more attractive, and Auden finds herself relocating to their small beach town, Colby, on a whim.

Her stepmother, bubbly Heidi, is nothing like Auden’s mom, and life in Colby bears little resemblance to what she’s left behind. One thing hasn’t changed, though—she still can’t sleep. In Colby, however, sleepless nights can mean beach parties, cute boys and late-night sessions with the girls who work at Heidi’s trendy beachfront store. And they can mean Eli, a talented but stoic former bike jumper who refuses to talk with anyone except Auden. Auden helps Eli get beyond his tragic past, while Eli helps Auden rediscover the childhood she missed while she was trying to be the perfect student.

One of those things Auden never experienced was learning to ride a bike. The images of falling off and getting back on (both of which Auden does a lot) serve as metaphors for starting over: “Given the chance for a real do-over, another way around,” Auden reflects, “who would say no?” Along for the Ride’s striking imagery of jumping and landing also reflects Auden’s hard-won ability to let go, to be free, to find her own way, even if it’s not as smooth or perfect a road as she had always planned. Her journey will speak to mothers, daughters and anyone who’s ever needed a second, or even a third, chance to get things right.

Norah Piehl is a writer and editor who lives near Boston.