Wren Wells had her future all planned out. After an internship with an art magazine at the end of her senior year of high school, she’d be off to Amherst in the fall, ready to make new friends and study both photography and medicine. But when an argument with her boyfriend ends with his death in a car accident, everything changes. Leaving behind an overprotective mother and a frustrated best friend, Wren goes to live with her artist father in the woods of Maine, where she spends her days sleeping, running or anything else that won't interfere with her desperate need to be empty and numb.

One day she meets Cal, who’s taking time off from college as he battles the same multiple sclerosis that killed his mother. Forming a new relationship, with new possibilities for hurt and anguish, is exactly what Wren doesn’t want. But Cal needs Wren as much as Wren needs Cal, and slowly—with the encouragement of the various students and artists who surround her father—Wren begins to reach outside herself again. At the same time, she starts to think about her future in new ways. Which parts of her plans were really what she wanted, and which were based only on her mother's expectations? How can she wish for love and connection, when she's seen where such wishes inevitably lead?

First-time novelist Amy McNamara wrote Lovely, Dark and Deep after the unexpected death of someone she loved. Her depictions of grief, depression and healing, set against a backdrop of the snow-covered Maine woods, make this a powerful book that's not to be missed.

Time Between Us, Tamara Ireland Stone’s thrilling debut novel, features a determined 16-year-old Anna Greene, who rarely leaves her Chicago suburb. A Time Traveler’s Wife for young adults, it’s set in 1995 with Anna reveling in the lyrics of Green Day and Phish and dreaming of journeying around the world. When quiet and enigmatic new student Bennett Cooper arrives, she just may get more than she ever imagined. He comes from far away—in more ways than one. Bennett’s not only from San Francisco, but he was born in 1995 and presently is living in 2012.

Forced to tell Anna his secret ability, he also reveals that he has come back in time to correct a time-traveling mistake he caused. But just how he time travels, the parameters of his travel and why another version of Bennett suddenly appears all remain mysteries to be solved as the teens explore his gift—and each other. At first, time travel seems idyllic, allowing them to skip class or explore a secluded tropical island in the middle of winter, but when Anna’s best friend ends up in the hospital, they must test the limits of Bennett’s ability and morality.

Just as time travel allows Anna to see life beyond Illinois, her grounded, loving family with deep roots in the community shows loner Bennett a world that doesn’t exist on a map. When their love separated by time takes its toll on the couple, however, Anna must decide between two futures (or is it pasts?). Even in the name of love, the resilient teen must also find self-reliance. This quick-paced romance allows readers to explore the possibilities when time and love have no limits.

Set in the dark jungles of Congo, Endangered chronicles 14-year-old Sophie’s accidental mission to save a group of bonobos when the country is overtaken by civil war.

When she arrives in Congo for the summer, Sophie feels unenthusiastic about the mandatory visit to her mother’s bonobo sanctuary. But when she saves a near-death young bonobo from the streets, she becomes an adoptive mother to the ape, called Otto.

When a minor government upheaval turns into a war, Sophie and Otto are forced to take refuge in the jungle with the bonobo pack. Bonobos are quite possibly our closest relative in the animal kingdom, and unlike chimpanzees, they form close-knit, protective family groups. Nevertheless, gaining acceptance isn’t easy for Sophie and Otto, and they soon discover the jungle provides little protection from bullets. Sophie’s only hope is to seek the safety of the bonobo release site on the other side of the country. With Otto by her side, she begins to cross a slew of rebel-filled villages.

Endangered is a thrilling adventure that explores the transformative bond between a human and an ape. Sophie begins as a fragile Congolese-American girl, unsure of her place in either country; by the end, she has found meaning in a cause that goes far beyond herself.

In the second decade of the 21st century, some might argue that there shouldn’t be a need for young adult novels exploring the angst and liberation of coming out as gay. However, as long as teens still seem deeply in need of initiatives like the “It Gets Better” project, novels like Ask the Passengers—especially one as compassionate and complex as this one—will be essential reading for all people, regardless of how they label themselves.

Astrid Jones is a senior in high school, a brainy, wordy girl whose favorite hobby is lying on the backyard picnic table, sending her love to the airplane passengers overhead: “It feels good to love a thing and not expect anything back,” she thinks. Astrid and her family have recently moved from New York City to a small town in Pennsylvania, where they may always seem like outsiders and a “fog of gossip” seems to surround everything they do.

Keeping secrets is hard in a small town, and Astrid has plenty—both her own and other people’s. When Astrid’s secret comes to light, she must decide whether and how to start telling the truth, and to whom. Like A.S. King’s previous novels, Ask the Passengers can hardly be considered a “problem novel”; instead, it perfectly blends philosophy, emotion and even a little magical realism in a smart, sympathetic story that is as relevant and compelling as ever.

Mia is gearing up for the best senior year ever. She's got cheerleader BFFs, the captain of the soccer team on her arm and her pick of Ivy League schools. When her overall tiredness and tendency to bruise lead to a diagnosis of leukemia, she's stopped in her tracks. Send Me a Sign follows Mia's treatment, recovery and constant pursuit of a definite answer to the question, “What should I do?” When everything around you is a potential message from the universe, it's easy to get confused.

Author Tiffany Schmidt is smart to tell the story from Mia's point of view. When her mother advises her to hide the cancer from her friends, we know Mia doesn't want to hurt them but is afraid of hurting her mother even more. Her best friend Gyver and boyfriend Ryan are supportive at different times in her treatment, leading to a complex triangle of emotions and affection. She spends so much time monitoring the states of everyone around her that her own health is further compromised, leading to another hospitalization. “I slept eighteen hours and woke up feeling betterish and also worse.” When she drops her guard and finally admits to being scared, the healing can begin.

To finally enjoy life again, Mia comes to believe she's not going to make it, then realizes she has a chance and relaxes her superstitions somewhat. By that time, we care enough to root for her health and happiness—and pray her mother will take a yoga class and chill out. Send Me a Sign is a story of serious illness, but it’s also a love story and a fresh look at the nature of belief. Check it out.

Fifteen-year-old orphan Jennifer Strange runs Kazam, an employment agency for magicians. Unfortunately, the worldwide demand for magic is dwindling, and Jennifer struggles to keep the agency going.

Legend has it that there is one remaining dragon—and one remaining dragonslayer. Many would like to get their hands on the pristine and desirable acreage where the final dragon resides, so it is exciting news when magician Kevin Zipp begins to experience visions of the last dragon dying at the hands of the Last Dragonslayer. Things may be about to change for Kazam. “Big Magic” is coming, and Jennifer may play a larger role than she ever could have anticipated. 

Jasper Fforde’s fantasy world is vivid, exciting and unique. In Jennifer he has created a spunky heroine who is easy to root for. She finds herself in the position of being the fabled “Last Dragonslayer,” but she also discovers that she doesn’t particularly want to kill the dragon, who actually turns out to be quite intelligent and interesting.

Moral dilemmas and hilariously sarcastic humor reign supreme in Fforde’s first novel for young adults—book one in a series of three fantastical novels that promise to deliver more than just thrills. Readers will be forced to consider the price of greed and the motivations of those who claim to pursue “progress.”

Emily Booth Masters reviews from Nashville, Tennessee.

In a world where every body is born with two souls—one dominant that will grow into maturity and one that will simply fade away in early childhood—Eva’s future was always meant to be brief. Her sister Addie would have a first kiss, learn to drive a car and start a family of her own, and Eva would die somewhere around the time they learned to read. But Eva doesn't die. When both souls survive, they become hybrid, something dangerous and banned. By the time they start high school, they’ve convinced everyone Eva is gone, but really she's just paralyzed, a voice in Addie's ear with no power over their body. And she’s resigned herself to that fate—until they meet two other teenage hybrids who offer her the chance to share control again. The promise is so incredible, Eva ignores the dangers until it’s too late.

Debut author Kat Zhang uses this alternate reality to create an intense instance of teenage alienation and powerlessness. Watching a crush from afar when social constructions or strict parents stand in the way can be frustrating, but the inability to tell them how you feel because you have no control over your own mouth would be excruciating. Zhang does a terrific job in capturing Eva's hopelessness with her situation and, later, her awakened longing for a life of her own.

The novel's only fumble is its attempt to encompass both the intimate story of two sisters’ secret and the much larger story of a society keeping secrets. The story of the girls' struggle for survival is so overpowering that when Zhang includes a revelation about the government, it doesn't have the shock value it should.

The strength of What's Left of Me lies in the character development, and Eva's efforts are so compelling the reader will be left thinking about her long after they’ve closed the book.

Molly Horan has her MFA in writing for children and young adults from The New School and is currently working on her first YA novel.

Author Fridrik Erlings perfectly captures the turmoil of being a teenager in his awkward and honest Fish in the Sky. Josh Stephenson’s life changes the moment he turns 13 in a clever series of events: His absent father sends him a famous taxidermied falcon, his attractive 17-year-old cousin moves into his closet, he falls in love with a classmate and, most frighteningly, his newly changing body promises to cause him plenty of embarrassment in the locker room. What’s a boy to do? Play hooky, of course!

Unafraid to question God, sexuality, love and even identity, Fish in the Sky rings wonderfully true for today’s tween. Not only does the novel ask important questions, it answers them, such as during Josh’s discovery of pornography as he struggles with the opposite sex. Through these first experiences, Josh is eventually able to embrace the changes in his life and learn from them.

Fish in the Sky begins with angst and self-loathing and ends with self-acceptance. Young readers will learn that we must each go through our own journey of self-discovery and forgive ourselves for the mistakes we made along the way. It’s an important message for every child navigating the path toward adulthood—and a good reminder for parents who may have forgotten how difficult the teenage road can seem.

Monstrous Beauty combines horror, romance and fantasy in an affecting and creepy tale. In 1872, a mermaid named Syrenka falls in love with the naturalist who has been sketching her. Trading her tail for life on land is not as easy as she'd hoped, and the consequences of her decision pay forward for more than a century. In the present day, Hester, all of 17 and certain she's doomed to a life alone due to a family curse, meets a beautiful stranger who seems to be the answer to her prayers. Funny how wrong first impressions can turn out to be.

Author Elizabeth Fama (Overboard) gives Monstrous Beauty style and punch. For a book aimed at readers 12 and up, the violence (including a graphic sexual assault) comes as a shock, but it raises the stakes for all the humans, mermaids and other creatures involved in the unfolding story. After two episodes that would put most of us out of commission for a week, the hits just keep on coming: “Before she could react, [Hester] was tackled to the ground and being clawed and punched by a raving madwoman.” But when Hester sees that her future isn't etched in stone after all, her insecurities give way to a plucky willingness to try anything.

Modern day crashes into late-19th-century morals when the story looks back at the town's church, which condemns things they can't understand (kind of forgivable in the case of mermaids, but still). The Puritan attitudes fire up the tension between good versus evil, giving the book's finale more oomph. Not that it needs it! Monstrous Beauty packs a serious, sexy wallop.

The lights and sounds of 1926 Manhattan burst to life in Printz Award-winner Libba Bray’s exciting new historical fantasy series.

When 17-year-old Evie O’Neill causes a scandal in her Ohio hometown, her parents banish her to Manhattan to live with her Uncle Will, a paranormal expert and curator at the failing Museum of the Creepy Crawlies. Evie is thrilled to sneak out to illicit nightclubs, drink “hooch” at speakeasies and drag her best friend into trouble every step of the way. When a young girl is sadistically murdered, the lead detective asks Uncle Will for help, but Evie discovers that as a Diviner (a person with supernatural abilities), she is the key to finding the killer.

Interwoven throughout Evie’s story are the lives of other Diviners. Memphis is a Harlem numbers-runner who can heal with his hands. Theta is a Ziegfeld girl with a violent gift. Sam is a hypnotic pickpocket who’s after Evie’s heart. None of them know about each other’s powers, but as the series progresses, these dynamic characters will come together to stop a growing evil.

Incredibly haunting and at times frightening, The Diviners is well researched and ambitious. The glitzy nightlife, the kitschy slang and the flapper-girl fashion all invoke the glamour of the Roaring ’20s. Readers will love Evie, a fearless and charming protagonist who lights up the book with her carefree attitude and sense of humor. This is Heroes meets the Jazz Age, and one could divine it will be the next big series in YA.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE
Read an interview with Libba Bray for The Diviners.

Newbery Medal-winning author Karen Hesse is known for tales of characters finding rays of hope in situations of despair. In Safekeeping, Hesse envisions a future United States torn apart by civil war. Teenage Radley, returning to Vermont after volunteering at an orphanage in Haiti, looks forward to her parents meeting her at the airport. But her parents are missing—and her credit card and cell phone are useless. Strangers are wary, daylight curfews are violently enforced and the police may be chasing her. Hoping her parents have sought sanctuary in Canada, Radley heads north.

Along the way, Radley cautiously befriends the secretive Celia and her loyal dog, Jerry Lee. As the three travelers seek safety, shelter and food, they also struggle with defining their new identities, accepting their past regrets and learning to live in a world where the rules have suddenly and irrevocably changed.

Fifty of Hesse’s original black-and-white photographs accompany the narration. The photographs, which include panoramic views of landscapes, ghostly images of abandoned buildings and close-up shots of ordinary objects, enhance the story. Sometimes they directly illustrate Radley’s world; other times they set the tone or invite further reflection on a theme.

Readers looking for an introspective view of a post-apocalyptic world, or who enjoyed the use of photographs in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, won’t want to miss this latest example of an emerging form of young adult literature.

Will West knows how to blend in. He can run 1.2 miles in 3:47 minutes and scores off the charts in aptitude tests, but his teachers can barely remember his name. As the 14-year-old hero of The Paladin Prophecy, the first in a new series from New York Times best-selling author Mark Frost, Will should be showing off his talents; instead, he’s keeping the promise he made to his parents to never reveal his true abilities.

Will and his parents have moved from city to city “like Bedouins every eighteen months.” On a breathtakingly beautiful Southern California morning, though, Will finds out why: Someone is after them—him, especially—and now his father’s admonition to trust no one is proving very helpful.

Whether it’s by dark-suited men in black sedans or yawping, snarling, fleshy masses from the nightmarish Never-Was, Will is being chased. They’ve already gotten to his mother; the proof is in her glassy eyes and eerie smile. “Do whatever you need to do to stay alive,” his father tells him in a video message. And so Will does.

Frost, co-creator of the creepy television show “Twin Peaks,” heads in a more action-adventure, sci-fi direction with The Paladin Prophecy. The result is a fast, fun novel that will spark imaginations like something off the silver screen.

There is a long history of prejudice against people with dwarfism, and while today we know it is usually caused by a genetic disorder, author Katherine Marsh details the cruel treatment of Renaissance dwarf jesters in her fascinating new novel. To imagine the world of Jepp, Who Defied the Stars, Marsh drew inspiration from a portrait of a court dwarf to Philip IV of Spain, “Don Sebastián de Morra” by Diego Velázquez—a painting that suggests sympathy for the poorly treated little people of the day.

Jepp leaves home for court, thinking that a whole new world will open for him; what he finds instead is a version of slavery. Punished for helping another dwarf try to escape, Jepp is sent to Uraniborg Castle to serve Lord Tycho, a character based on the real Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Although a brilliant seeker of truth about the stars, Tycho is an eccentric, often cruel master. Jepp’s place at dinner is under the table, and he sleeps in the stable with Tycho’s pet moose. At first given menial tasks like filling inkpots and cleaning Tycho’s celestial globe, Jepp begins to learn from the scholars around him and eventually reveals his secret command of Latin. “Fate has cast me here, but I wish to learn and better myself,” he tells his master.

With an engaging hero and unusual setting, Jepp is compelling historical fiction about the treatment of those who are different and the challenges they face to be viewed as equals.