Prenna James was born in the 2080s, during a time of disease and environmental catastrophe. She and her mother escape a blood plague by traveling to the present day with a group of time travelers. Forced to assimilate, Prenna attends high school with kids who must never know she’s from the future—except for Ethan Jarves, who makes her feel special and safe.

But Prenna is under constant surveillance by the community elders, and she knows what happens to time travelers who fall in love with present-day people—they disappear. Rather than working on a solution to save the future, Prenna’s people haven’t done a thing except intimidate other time travelers into submission. Eventually she must make a decision: be with the boy she loves or save the world.

The Here and Now seems like a departure for Ann Brashares, whose best-selling novels focused on friendships and romance. Readers are given more to consider here, such as environmental abuse and self-sacrifice for the good of others. Prenna and Ethan are truly selfless and brave, and readers will root for their happiness—whether or not it’s what the future holds.

Kimberly Giarratano is the author of Grunge Gods and Graveyards, a young adult paranormal mystery.

Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, a teenager struggles to define herself in the aftermath of her parents’ divorce, the harsh newness of high school life and the recent death of her sister.

Laurel’s childhood innocence came to a sudden end when May, her beloved older sister, was killed just when Laurel was transitioning between middle school and high school. In the wake of the tragedy, Laurel’s mom split from the family and escaped to the California coast to clear her head. Laurel’s father has remained, but the death of his oldest child weighs heavily on him. To avoid an atmosphere of constant sadness and pain, Laurel chooses to attend a high school where nobody knows her family history. She doesn’t want anybody’s pity.

As she tries to fit in, Laurel befriends the eccentric and chain-smoking Natalie and Hannah, catches the eye of the mysterious and attractive Sky, and gets taken under the wing of kindly rebellious couple Tristan and Kristen. All the while, Laurel chronicles her grief process by writing letters to her deceased idols, starting with Kurt Cobain. But eventually Laurel will have to reveal her true self to her loved ones still living, or else risk losing their companionship forever.

Debut author Ava Dellaira earned her MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and has worked under the famous Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Dellaira even mimics Chbosky’s narrative device of addressing letters to people who may never read them, allowing her protagonist to be immensely honest and open. Dellaira handles these delicate subjects with such innocent deftness that it’s easy to forget this is a work of fiction.

Justin Barisich is a freelancer, satirist, poet and performer living in Atlanta. More of his writing can be found at littlewritingman.com.

BookPage Teen Top Pick, April 2014

When 16-year-old Travis Coates, dying from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, donated his head (the only part of his body not ravaged by cancer) to be cryogenically stored at the Saranson Center for Life Preservation, he imagined being reinstated in 100 years, alongside jet packs and other futuristic gadgets. But when technology advances sooner than expected, he “wakes up” five years later with the body of another teen who suffered from a brain tumor. In Noggin, by Printz Award winner John Corey Whaley, Travis recalls the initial days, weeks and months of his second chance at life.

Although Travis feels like he just briefly went to sleep, he’s now an overnight celebrity and must face the reality that life went on without him and that nothing will ever be the same again. His parents grieved. His best friend, Kyle, who once revealed that he’s gay, is hiding his sexuality in college. Cate, his girlfriend and first love, has moved on and is engaged to be married. Yet Travis remains the high schooler he was—or has he, too, changed? Although he has a new body, it’s seems the world keeps rejecting him.

A graceful combination of raw heartbreak and biting wit (including plenty of head puns) guides Travis through this existential search for life’s meaning and survival. With the help of old loves and new friends, he learns to accept Travis version 2.0 and discovers that life may be even harder than death. While the novel’s premise may be straight out of Hollywood, Travis’ voice could not be any truer. Fans of John Green will welcome this smart tearjerker.

Forbidden love among teenagers has been a hot topic since long before Romeo first met Juliet at a party in fair Verona. The latest YA entry in this genre has Kestrel, daughter of a conquering Valorian general, falling for Arin, a native Herrani slave. Romance and politics quickly intersect as the Herrani stage a violent attempt to take back their land, and loyalties are tested when Kestrel, Arin and their various allies must choose between love, power, security and family.

Plots, counterplots and counter-counterplots can ordinarily become confusing, but author Marie Rutkoski’s accessible writing style lets the reader follow them easily. With climactic scenes as varied as a duel and a formal ball, The Winner’s Curse seamlessly blends action and adventure with the decadence that’s become characteristic of “luxe lit.” Kestrel’s character is well drawn—she’s an excellent pianist who also has a talent for military strategy—and Arin’s blacksmithing skills and stubbornness make him a drool-worthy love interest.

Readers who like their books sprinkled with high-stakes romance, strong heroes and heroines and the trappings of royalty won’t want to miss this one . . . and will finish it impatiently awaiting its two planned follow-ups.

And what of the attention-grabbing title? As the author explains, it refers to a phenomenon in economics in which the price of winning is so high that it amounts to a different form of losing. By buying the slave Arin at a high price at an auction in the opening scene, has Kestrel won—or lost? It’s left to the reader to decide.

It’s 1917, and 16-year-old Russian noble Natalya feels confident of her future: She’ll become tsarina when she marries Romanov heir Alexei and live a life filled with glittering parties and beautiful gowns. Her plans seem especially secure when Alexei shows her a Fabergé egg that’s been infused with magical healing powers by royal advisor Grigori Rasputin. The protection offered by the Constellation Egg may be an especially valuable antidote to the threat posed by the Reds, a revolutionary group who oppose the absolute power of the monarchist Whites.

After violence breaks out one winter night, Natalya and her friend Emilia, along with an unexpected companion, begin a journey that soon has them chasing the Egg from St. Petersburg across the Russian countryside to Moscow. Meanwhile, a group of Russian mystics also seeks the Egg for their own ends. As the two sets of searchers converge, Natalya finds herself questioning her previously held distinctions between right and wrong, royals and commoners, and even Whites and Reds. How can the two sides, with their radically different views, both claim to be pursuing the best interests of their beloved homeland? Tsarina’s finale leaves readers open to wondering what’s coming next, and leaves the story open to a sequel.

YA author J. Nelle Patrick, who also writes under the name Jackson Pearce, blends magical realism with the events surrounding the start of the Russian Revolution, a natural pairing in view of Rasputin’s reputed association with the supernatural. An author’s note clarifies some, but not all, of the historical details that have been conflated or modified and which are based in reality.

With its early-20th-century setting and its focus on romance blooming among the constraints of social class, Tsarina is a great choice for teen fans of period drama “Downton Abbey” or devotees of the emerging genre of historical fantasy.

Jill Ratzan reviews for School Library Journal and works as a school librarian at a small independent school. She learned most of what she knows about YA literature from her terrific graduate students.

Mia is famous because she fell into a well at the age of 4. Now she’s nearly 17 and attends Westbrook, an elite boarding school, and people still call her “Baby Mia.” Westbrook happens to be located in Mia’s hometown of Fenton, which gives her “townie” status and keeps her close to her widowed father. Not that she sees him very often. He’s obsessed with his secret work at the Cave, which Mia believes has something to do with microchips and the government. Mia is wrong.

In a horrific turn of events, the students of Westbrook are suddenly in lockdown, guarded by soldiers in HAZMAT suits. A terrible virus that rapidly ages its victims is tearing through the faculty and is now infecting students. And Mia keeps remembering her last desperate phone call to her father, when he said, “Mia, all of this has to do with me.” Tension ratchets up as Mia and her friends stage a daring escape from the school to reach the Cave.

Between the carnage that she witnesses and the betrayals that she fears, Mia is desperate for answers. Unfortunately for both Mia and the reader, the answers are slow in coming. Too many conversations end with some version of, “I’ll explain later.” When the truth is finally revealed, author Seth Fishman switches the narrative point of view from Mia to her father as a young man, which allows the backstory to be revealed with a youthful voice. At times, the characters veer too close to nebulous stereotypes like computer geek, football player or best friend. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of adventure and a satisfyingly creative resolution. This is a good recommendation for fans of James Patterson’s teen series.

Diane Colson works at the Nashville Public Library. She has long been active in the American Library Association's Young Adult Library Association (YALSA), serving on selection committees such as the Morris Award, the Alex Award and the Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award.

Heather Nill is living a dead-end life in a washed-up town. Prospects are so grim that the high school kids’ best hope of escaping is through a legendary game called Panic. Everyone pays in, and there can be only one winner, but it's not just a matter of facing down your worst fears—the stakes can be life or death. Heather’s there to support her best friend Nat, but at the last minute she decides to compete. The money’s a powerful motivator, but there’s more at stake, for her and everyone involved.

Panic is full of big scares, but the central horror is the daily reality these kids face. Life with addicted parents and meth-infested trailer parks, with little hope of relief, would drive anyone to take chances. Author Lauren Oliver (the Delirium trilogy) weaves together themes of jealousy and revenge, and puts these kids through some terrifying challenges. There are a series of twists leading up to an explosive finale that will have readers breathlessly turning pages. And in between the hard-won victories and awful consequences of the game, there are quiet moments of friendship, family and connection that are the real grand prizes in life. 

Virtually everyone involved with Panic has a secret, including Heather's friend Bishop, who’s not playing but is always around when the challenges are announced. Unpacking everyone’s motivations adds another layer to the mystery, but the book is best when it hews close to Heather and her resistance to change, even though it holds her only chance at happiness. Her conviction that she “was a nobody. Nill. As in zero” is the most formidable demon she needs to conquer in order to thrive. Panic is a thrill ride with a still point at its center.

Heather Seggel reads too much and writes all about it in Northern California.

BookPage Top Pick in Teen Books, March 2014

Somewhere deep within the African jungles of Gabon, a young street boy searches for a family, a home and a purpose beyond simply fighting for survival. While Threatened is the account of his learning to survive in the wild, it’s also the tale of his learning to trust and accept others, even if they don’t share the same genus and species.

Luc—an AIDS-orphaned child of the slums who’s only vaguely aware of his own age—was sold to a local debt collector as an indentured servant to pay off his mother’s hospital bills for her unsuccessful care. Barely scraping by, Luc one day befriends an Arab professor and researcher from the National Geographic Society who appears at the bar where Luc works illegally for pocket change. The “Prof,” as Luc calls him, has traveled to Gabon—home of the largest concentration of chimpanzees in the world—in hopes of becoming the next Jane Goodall and bringing more national attention to the chimps’ fragile existence.

Prof uses cunning and deceit to procure Luc from the debt collector as his research assistant. Prof, Omar (his pet vervet monkey) and Luc set up camp in the middle of the rainforest and fortuitously stumble upon a small family of chimpanzees. As Luc observes the wild beasts that once haunted his nightmares, he learns firsthand of their humanity—from their ferocity as much as from their kindness and personalities—and develops better relationships with them than he ever has with people. But with hunters and far worse dangers surrounding them, Luc must constantly put his life on the line to protect this blended family he’s come to love.

Author Eliot Schrefer, whose novel Endangered was a finalist for the 2012 National Book Award, combines his interest in conservation and education in Threatened—his eighth novel overall and the second in his Great Ape Quartet—to draw his readers ever nearer to the edge of this primitive, natural world. He asks us to jump with him into the unencumbered jungle to see all the beauty and mystery that only the wild can offer.

Justin Barisich is a freelancer, satirist, poet and performer living in Atlanta. More of his writing can be found at littlewritingman.com.

The Mirk and Midnight Hour blends historical romance, suspense and the paranormal into a novel that’s a Southern Gothic tale at heart.

Violet Dancey is left to mind Scuppernong Farm in Mississippi while her father fights the Yankees. Already heartbroken by the death of her twin brother, Violet is beginning to question whether the Confederacy is in the right when she finds a wounded Union soldier named Thomas in her old childhood hideout. Their relationship turns into a romance, but it’s risky business in more ways than one.

Author Jane Nickerson juggles a large and complex cast here, and there’s voodoo, violence, mayhem, laudanum addiction and telepathic communication with bees to keep the players busy, yet the book maintains an easy pace. There’s a scary climactic scene when Violet must come between Thomas and the people who have been treating his injuries, but most of the action here is slow-burning suspense. The contrast between a community bazaar and the war roiling in the distance adds to the eerie sense of a world on the brink of big changes.

Violet’s awakening to the politics of slavery after a lifetime of friendship with people her family owned is touching and handled gracefully, giving The Mirk and Midnight Hour extra depth and something to ponder after the thrills have worn off. It’s an exciting story—juicy, romantic and at times quite chilling.

Heather Seggel reads too much and writes all about it in Northern California.

“Your father doesn’t have any enemies. He’s an accountant.” Daniel Pratzer’s mom couldn’t be more wrong about her mild-mannered, potbellied husband.

Mr. Pratzer’s secret past begins to unravel quite by accident. Struggling freshman Daniel has joined the chess club because . . . well, he isn’t great at sports. When two popular seniors invite him to participate in a father-son chess tournament, he laughs. After all, he’s just a beginner, and his father doesn’t even play. But the seniors have done some research: Morris W. Pratzer was ranked a grandmaster of chess.

Mr. Pratzer reluctantly agrees to attend the tournament, but as the weekend unfolds, Daniel starts to understand the complex reasons why his father left the game: Competitive chess almost killed him, and he has an enemy who understands the depth of his weaknesses.

Grandmaster is a page-turning read, full of authentic details that offer a fascinating glimpse into tournament chess. It’s also a compassionate look at the choices we make, and how difficult situations bring families closer in unexpected ways.

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Her most recent book for young readers is The Great Trouble.

In the opening scene of unflinching thriller Before My Eyes—reminiscent of the shooting at Gabby Giffords’ political rally in 2011—a gunman pulls out a weapon at a Labor Day campaign rally for New York state senator Glenn Cooper. Who is the target? What is the motive? And how will the crowd react to and fare the tragedy? To answer these questions, author Caroline Bock takes readers back to the Friday that kicks off this holiday weekend on Long Island and the events that lead up to the gunman’s appearance.

Three young adults give varying perspectives in distinct voices. While all of his varsity soccer buddies have had cushy summer jobs and plenty of free time to party on the beach, Max, Glenn Cooper’s son, has had to keep up appearances as a “common man’s” son, taking ice cream orders at the beach snack shack. In the less affluent part of town, Claire has been babysitting her sister and writing poetry while her mother recovers from a stroke and her father figures out how to pay for the rehab center. Barkley, who has stopped bathing and started hearing voices, has become concerned with the environment and demands answers from Glenn Cooper, even if it means using a gun to get them.

When these three young adults inadvertently become involved with each otherBock shows just how intertwined yet overlooked human connections can be. As the hour of the shooting approaches, the pace quickens as each character’s strengths and weaknesses are revealed. The thought-provoking story broaches such topics as recognizing signs of mental illness, caring for the mentally ill, gun control and the difficulties of each. While Bock doesn’t provide answers, she offers a rich opportunity to start a dialogue on these issues that continue to plague America.

Cy Williams is not a slave, but his life is far from his own. Growing up in Georgia in the 1890s, he knows that the cruel white plantation owner his father works for could throw him in jail or even kill him in a second.

When a tragic accident leaves the plantation owner’s son—and Cy’s best friend—dead, the blame falls on Cy. Still mourning, Cy finds himself bound and blindfolded, on the way to a chain gang where he’ll work, shackled to a line of other boys who dared to make a white man angry. Four years spent working under the threat of a whip breaks Cy’s spirit and drains him of all hope that he’ll ever see his father again. But when his father appears with clean clothes and a plan, Cy dares to believe there might be freedom in his future.

Cy in Chains is a difficult, painful novel, but it’s an important one. Cy quickly morphs from a kind, compassionate boy, looking out for his friend before the accident, to a young man who’s been broken by a life of hard work and cruelty, and who comes to see compassion as a weakness he can’t afford.

His transformation is shown in sharp contrast from another boy on the chain gang, Jess, whose deep faith keeps him hopeful and who takes care of the younger, weaker boys. Jess’ sense of responsibility to help those who can’t stand up for themselves highlights Cy’s every-man-for-himself attitude, as well as exposing the cracks in it. It’s a prerogative Cy adopted to survive, not a true representation of his character.

The details of the horrors Cy and the other boys suffer at the hands of the men who run the chain gang are vivid and varied, from sexual abuse to physical abuse, to neglect so severe their lives are in danger. Each new punishment is more horrible than the last.

Cy in Chains is a book for those who love historical fiction and don’t want the horrors of the past sugar-coated.

Molly Horan has her MFA in writing for children and young adults from The New School