March brings two delicious literary and entertainment treats for teens (and, let’s face it, the rest of us). Not only is there the release of The Hunger Games on the big screen, there’s the U.S. publication of Froi of the Exiles, the new fantasy novel by Australian author Melina Marchetta.

Marchetta won the Michael J. Printz Award for Jellicoe Road in 2009. Her first fantasy novel, Finnikin of the Rock, garnered Australia’s Aurealis award. Froi of the Exiles is Book Two of the Lumatere Chronicles; like Finnikin, it is an absorbing adventure that brings Marchetta’s well-conceived fantasy world to life.

The scrappy, hot-tempered Froi takes center stage here. In Finnikin, Froi was always getting into trouble, and had a hard time telling right from wrong. As Book Two opens, three years have passed. Froi is now 18 and a trained protector of the royal family: Finnikin, Queen Isaboe and Princess Jasmina (their two-year-old who, if truth be told, rules them both).

Froi has been mentored and nurtured, but still struggles to control his hot-headed reactions. Ready or not, the moment to prove his true mettle has come. He is the only one who can undertake a secret mission to the neighboring kingdom of Charyn, a strange barren place under a mysterious curse that prevents any of its women from bearing children. In Charyn, Froi will find himself tested in ways he could not begin to imagine, and readers will get to the breathtaking finish eager to spend more time in Marchetta’s richly imagined universe.

In Froi of the Exiles, Marchetta has once again created a complex, engrossing world of adventure, intrigue and romance, with strong characters and compelling storylines. Books this good aren’t just for teens.

The premise of this intriguing and intense novel centers on Gabby Gardiner, who wakes up bruised and broken in a hospital room, the apparent victim of a drunk-driving accident in which she was the intoxicated driver. Thrown from the car, Gabby has no memory of the accident or the events preceding it. Her parents, friends and authorities question her repeatedly, and it becomes clear that no one believes Gabby has amnesia; they just think she is covering for her boyfriend, Billy, whose criminal record forces him to lie low. One more misfire and Billy will be sent to juvenile rehab. Suddenly, Gabby is thrust into the hands of professionals (recommended by Billy’s deceptive mother) who have to help her overcome her “drinking problem” so that she can get back to her old life, the life where she was popular and pretty. But Gabby’s denial of the truth is causing her more harm than the accident that got her into this mess.

Gabby’s voice is bitter and cynical, yet compelling and heartbreaking. Raised in the uber-wealthy “Three B’s” (Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Bel Air), Gabby’s parents are self-indulgent wannabes who pay little attention to her. Her shopaholic mother buys expensive make-up to hide Gabby’s bruised face. Her father, a depressed drunk, can’t even face his daughter in the hospital. It’s not Gabby’s artistic talents that ignite pride in her parents, but her sudden luck at snagging the most eligible boy in school. Gabby says, “Being Billy Nash’s girlfriend is the only thing I’ve done since I turned twelve years old and got into Winston School that comes close to fulfilling her destiny as mother of a daughter she can stand.” It’s no wonder that insecurity and loneliness drive Gabby’s poor decision-making, but readers will cheer for her when she finally recognizes her own worth.

In the year 2129, the United Nations’ Permanent Peace and Prosperity governs the world and 96% of the global population allows robots to do their work and lives on the social minimum, a government allowance comparable to two million dollars a year today. With the rise of boredom, entertainment is what really rules the planet. Only celebrities with the most media play are deemed eligible for professional celebrity status and employment beyond the social minimum. Celebrities’ children, however, must prove their own celebrity status, mostly by “styling” attitude and emotions, and as a result, special schools exist to prepare them for celebrity potential exams.

In this brilliant adventure, Printz Honor-winning author John Barnes balances real science with humorous jibes against today’s obsession with social media, including swapping out the “infodumps” of hard science fiction for periodic “Notes for the Interested,” which can be skipped (but why miss the fun?). He also knows how to tell a thrilling story. Susan Tervaille and eight of her fellow classmates at one of the elite prep schools have little chance of raising their recognition scores until Derlock, whose lawyer father has become famous for getting violent offenders freed due to media interest, comes up with a scheme to make them even more famous than their parents.

The plan—to hide out on a spacecraft that facilitates transportation between Earth and Mars—is interrupted by an accidental explosion that leaves only the nine teens and an illegally “geneered” horton (yes, from Dr. Seuss’ elephant-like creation) alive. They can’t communicate with the outside universe, and they have a limited window to approach Mars or spend two years in orbit. When classmates suddenly find themselves in other life-threatening situations, Susan begins to wonder if the “accident” was part of Derlock’s plan. Fighting for survival while disconnected from the media, the teens begin to realize the importance of feelings over styling, teamwork over status and education over entertainment. Hang on, readers, for one wild ride.

It’s a longstanding tradition at Mount Washington High School—on the last Monday in September “The List” is posted all over school. It names the prettiest girl, and the ugliest girl, from each grade. Who writes The List? No one seems to know. It’s apparently an honor secretly passed down from one student to another, and it’s gone on for as long as anyone can remember. To add a touch of legitimacy, each copy of The List is emblazoned with a line drawing of Mount Washington High, from an embossing stamp stolen decades ago from the principal’s desk.

When beautiful Candace is named “ugliest” in the sophomore class, with an annotation that “beauty isn’t just skin-deep,” she is devastated and wonders what could have gone wrong. When lovely Bridget is named “prettiest” in the junior class, along with a note about “what a difference a summer can make,” she resolves to continue her zealous diet and maintain the thin physique she managed to starve herself into over the summer. The stories go on, in alternating chapters that reveal the humiliations and triumphs of each of the eight girls on The List.

Siobhan Vivian’s latest novel for young adults tackles the beauty myth head on. Readers will find themselves relating to each character’s struggles—and The List does bring challenges to all who appear on it, “pretty” and “ugly” alike. Labels can be damaging, even when they may appear to be positive.

Half cautionary tale and half whodunit, The List will keep readers turning pages in the hopes of finding out who is behind The List, and what will become of the girls it singles out.

Great student, skilled actor, loyal boyfriend, good son and brother: Ben Bright’s talents can take him wherever he wants to go in life. When he decides on the Army Reserves instead of college, his friends and family are crushed and afraid. Insisting he’s not going to war, Ben is nevertheless deployed to Iraq, and ends up being hit by a makeshift bomb. When his family gets a call telling them he has a brain injury, everyone in Ben’s life feels the changes in their own. They rally to help him, but, unable to communicate or remember who anyone is, Ben is trapped inside his injured frame.

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am is based on author Harry Mazer’s experience as an underage enlisted soldier. In relatively few pages, the book (co-authored by Peter Lerangis) discusses many of the issues surrounding injured veterans, yet never feels busy or cluttered. Ben’s best friend and girlfriend become crucial to his recovery process, though they are devastated by his inability to remember them. His parents’ marriage suffers under the accommodations they must make to get Ben well and home again, only to find he feels safer in the hospital. His younger brother’s autism uniquely equips him to draw Ben out of his shell; while everyone else in his life is suffering emotionally over what has happened (and acting out, adding to Ben’s discomfort and confusion), Chris is distant by nature and content to simply talk about memories of his big brother. If he does so long enough, without interruption, Ben’s memories might be led back to his home and family, a crucial step on the road to healing.

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am tells a bold war story without being overtly political or taking sides; as such it’s a great choice for discussion groups. It’s also an exciting, intelligent, fast-paced read that should appeal to both avid and reluctant readers, providing gripping action and food for thought.

Midway through Double, the novel’s narrator—at this point beginning to fear (rightfully) for his life—thinks about his new family, “Maybe none of them were what they seemed. Maybe it wasn’t just me.” The stark contrasts between appearances and reality, between expectations and intentions, form much of the thematic backbone—not to mention the suspenseful framework—of Valentine’s mind-bending thriller.

Our 16-year-old narrator, known only as “Chap,” is on his last legs, in a homeless shelter, locked up for fighting, when he’s recognized by one of the case workers. She shows him a missing persons photo of Cassiel Roadnight, a boy who could be Chap’s twin. Seduced by visions of Cassiel’s comfortable home, of a family who misses and longs for him, Chap eases, almost without thinking about it, into Cassiel’s life.

The two boys look so much alike that Chap fools almost everyone. But as he settles into Cassiel’s small town and starts learning more about Cassiel’s disappearance, he begins to realize that he might be in as much danger as Cassiel once was.

Marked by a complex revenge plot and multiple hairpin turns, enriched by Chap’s recollections of the one person he’s ever loved, Double is both a relentlessly thrilling suspense novel and a wrenching character study. Author Jenny Valentine has won multiple awards in her native Great Britain, and it’s about time that U.S. readers learn more about her. With Double, Valentine’s second novel to be published in the United States (after Me, the Missing, and the Dead), she should find the wider audience she so well deserves.

In this sweet, albeit heart-wrenching debut, 16-year-old Brie Eagan dies from a broken heart just after her boyfriend declares he no longer loves her. Devastated and bitter, Brie ends up in a funky pizzeria, an odd limbo, with a few other souls who aren’t ready to move beyond the hereafter. There she meets the charming and sarcastic Patrick, who helps her navigate the afterlife and accompanies Brie as she spies on the living. But when she discovers painful truths about her friends and family, Brie’s actions become her undoing. (At one point, she crashes a Halloween party and terrifies her ex-boyfriend.) When she unexpectedly meets a long-lost friend, Brie has the opportunity to return to her old life for one day—but at a great cost. As she reluctantly moves through the five stages of grief, all the while trying to piece together the fractured lives of those she left behind, Brie discovers that life is too short and too precious to deny those who love you.

Set against the backdrop of a misty San Francisco, this tragic tale of a life cut short never borders on morose (as one could expect) but is rather hopeful and celebratory. Brie’s first-person narration is often light and funny. She’s a fan of Kate Winslet and cheesy '80s songs. She and Patrick banter like Sam and Diane or Chuck and Blair, which only turns up the heat on their suppressed feelings and intensifies the swoon-worthy romantic twist at the end. Despite all this, the author still manages to tackle tough issues such as teen suicide and social isolation that will strongly resonate with the target audience.

With The Catastrophic History of You and Me, her impressive debut offering, Jess Rothenberg shows great promise as an author worth following.

When Jesse and Emily pass in the halls of their high school, they don’t make eye contact, and why would they? Emily is student body vice president, an intern at an important company with a loyal boyfriend and, it must be said, incredibly perfect hair. Jesse keeps her locks cut short with a pocketknife, favors outsize rubber boots over ballet flats and is the sole member of a radical flyer-posting political organization called NOLAW. The Difference Between You and Me would seem to be an understatement, yet every Tuesday afternoon finds these two together in the bathroom at the public library for what Emily calls their “special time,” where those barriers dissolve in the face of an amazing physical connection.

In this smart, funny novel, two girls who couldn't be more different share a physical connection they can't deny.

Jesse wants to go public with their relationship while Emily feels the need to compartmentalize it with her other extracurricular activities, and that works for a while. But when the school is divided by a big-box store’s plans to build in town, currying political favor by sponsoring school activities, a divide is created that forces the two to re-evaluate where they stand. Ideology competes with affection, and who wins is anything but clear.

Author Madeleine George (Looks) tells this story with humor and wisdom. Jesse is so embarrassed to tell her left-wing activist parents she’s involved with a “normal” girl that they suspect she’s on drugs; she denies it, then realizes the relationship is itself a form of addiction. Emily is genuine and earnest about school, her hometown and her boyfriend, but feels seen by Jesse on a deeper level, and that vulnerability is intoxicating. There’s also a clear and fair-minded look at the positive and negative impacts of urban sprawl on communities.

The Difference Between You and Me will prompt heated discussions, and maybe the next wave of photocopied manifestos that challenge the norm. Let’s hope.

All through eighth-grade baseball season Peter Friedman hid his mounting, searing pain so that he and his best friend, AJ, could be star pitchers. After finally wearing out his elbow joint and permanently ending his baseball career, Peter enters his freshman year by keeping this crushing news a secret from AJ and wondering if he’ll ever enjoy anything as much as baseball again.

Because of his close relationship with his grandfather, a professional photographer, and his mother’s persistent urging, he signs up for one of his high school’s photography classes, where he meets fellow budding photographer Angelika. When the class becomes the yearbook’s default photographers, Angelika volunteers Peter to cover none other than the school’s sports scene.

Peter’s biting humor and flirtatious banter with Angelika keep the story both realistic and fresh as he faces his debilitating injury and AJ’s constant reminders about the upcoming spring training, along with one more secret: After noticing his grandfather’s increasing forgetfulness, he can’t help but wonder if his beloved hero is showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease. He swears not to divulge his grandfather’s condition, until a life-threatening accident forces him to confront the truth.

As Peter learns how to be honest with his friends, family and, most importantly, himself, he also begins to appreciate life’s gifts amidst tragedy. Jordan Sonnenblick scores a home run with Curveball as he continues what he does best: getting to the core of issues that resonate with teens in a style that’s direct and witty. New readers, start lining up Sonnenblick’s previous hits!

The year is 1938 and German Jews are losing their jobs; their children are being forced out of school and harassed on the street. But, 11-year-old Ziska wonders, why should this affect her? Her family converted to Protestantism two generations ago. If her mother loves her, why is she putting Ziska on a children’s train—a kindertransport—to live with strangers in England?

Life in England brings many surprises for Ziska. Her host family practices Orthodox Judaism, and Ziska becomes intrigued by their rituals. The family’s son welcomes her immediately, and she also finds friends in a fellow kindertransport passenger and an elderly professor. And although Ziska and her host mother get off to a rocky start, they soon begin to develop a bond that will prove to be tremendously meaningful for both of them.

As Ziska’s relationship with her host family develops, so does the war, including bombings and blackouts in London, further evacuations to the countryside and rumors of unspeakable horrors against Jews in German-occupied lands. By the time peace is declared in 1945, Ziska is 18 years old, and both her world and her perspective have changed in ways she could never have imagined.

Anne C. Voorhoeve’s historical novel, first published in Germany, raises many questions: What does it mean to be a friend, a daughter, a German or a Jew? Reflecting its wartime setting, the events in My Family for the War are at times harsh and unforgiving. But ultimately, Ziska’s story is about the persistent love of a family . . . and a generation’s hope for better times to come.

Piper Paisley’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day. But despite her friends’ best efforts to hatch a plan for romance, Piper isn’t feeling the love.

And why should she? Her mother’s second husband, Beau, left not long ago, leaving Piper and her mom with young kids Lucy and Dom. Piper barely talks to Beau, who adopted her, or to her biological father, Jack, her mother’s first husband. To make things worse, with Valentine’s Day approaching, her mother is busier than ever with her floral shop, leaving Piper to put a kindergartner and preschooler to bed each night. Not an easy task, and especially stressful when the plumbing in their old house explodes!

Piper’s busy life doesn’t leave much time for homework, swim practice or volunteer work in the candy shop, let alone some fantasy plan for romance. Besides, Piper’s ideal boyfriend, Ben Donovan, seems totally unattainable. She can’t imagine talking to him, and she certainly won’t be revealing her secret feelings to her best friend and next door neighbor, Charlie.

Given Piper’s rather cynical attitude toward all things romantic, it’s no surprise that she’s the mastermind behind one of Jan the Candy Man’s most popular Valentine’s Day creations: Consternation Hearts. Their wry, cynical sayings reflect her own experience: Falling in love may be sweet, but staying in love is something else entirely.

In Love? Maybe. author Heather Hepler, who also wrote The Cupcake Queen, has concocted a realistic, but warmhearted look at love as well as the complexities of commitment. Piper and her friends are engaging characters who balance multiple responsibilities. And luckily for Piper, the promise of love is within her reach, just as sweet as candy.

Ed is a high school dropout whose future goals have narrowed only to a search for the perfect shade of blue paint. Lucy is a glassblowing artist who’s just finished year 12 and is perpetually just barely missing the guy she wants to meet, a graffiti artist who signs his name as Shadow. Shadow, Lucy thinks, will be the sort of sensitive, artistic boy who’ll dazzle her with static electricity—a far cry from her most recent attempt at dating, which ended with her breaking her date’s nose.

When Lucy and her friends Jazz and Daisy decide to celebrate their graduation with a night on the town, Jazz pairs them each with a date, and Ed and Lucy are matched with each other. Lucy has no interest in Ed, but agrees to join the group if they’ll spend the evening trying to find the mysterious Shadow, whom Ed and his friends Leo and Dylan claim to know. As Ed and Lucy learn more about each other and each other’s artwork, they begin to realize that they have more in common than they first thought. And maybe, with or without Shadow, they can help each other rethink their pasts, navigate their present situations and plan for their futures.

Set in present-day Australia, Graffiti Moon alternates between Ed’s and Lucy’s points of view, interspersed with lyrical interludes by Shadow’s equally secretive partner, Poet. The book’s format, an all-night escapade told from intersecting male and female perspectives, is reminiscent of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Fans of Nick and Norah—and readers seeking an uplifting story about art, identity and hope—won’t want to miss Cath Crowley’s latest offering.

“Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?”

For Hadley Sullivan, heading from JFK to London as a reluctant bridesmaid in her father’s (second) wedding to a woman she hasn’t met, four minutes means she misses her flight. It means that she may not make it to the ceremony in time. Most of all, it means being rebooked on the next flight and sitting next to a boy named Oliver, a Yale freshman headed home to London.

Jennifer E. Smith’s delightful new novel, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, takes place over a period of just 24 hours. And while the eventual outcome of the teens’ chance encounter is never in doubt, Smith’s insightful chronicling of Hadley’s emotional life brings a power and sensitivity to this story of first love.

Hadley is dreading the plane ride (she suffers from claustrophobia) and, even more, the wedding itself. She hasn’t recovered from her father’s abrupt departure, and doesn’t believe his story that he wasn’t looking for love when he became a visiting professor in England. And even though her mother has rebuilt her life and is seeing someone new, Hadley refuses to trust her mom’s recovery, or her philosophical view that things turned out for the best.

But then Hadley meets Oliver, and experiences “a kind of unfamiliar electricity at the nearness of him.” After the long night flight together, and an unexpected turn of events the next day in London, Hadley comes to new realizations about her family, and about love itself. “The idea that their paths might have just as easily not crossed leaves her breathless . . . and she can’t help marveling at the sheer randomness of it all.”