What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles

I first started recommending this book to students three years ago, and they have been obsessively reading it every since. I'm on my third copy of the book, and its cover is lovingly taped together in an attempt to get it through the rest of the school year.

We have all known someone like Cass McBride, the most popular girl at school whom everyone seems to hate. She is definitely at the top of the high school food chain, but only because she stomped and clawed her way there. David, on the other hand, despite his extreme intelligence and gentle nature, seems to hang onto the fringe of everyone else, with no real friends to call his own. When their paths cross and Cass publicly humiliates David, his deep rooted pain surfaces and he commits suicide.

By hanging himself in a tree.

In his front yard.

With a note safety pinned through his skin that reads: Words are teeth. And they eat me alive. Feed on my corpse instead.

Yeah, this is just the beginning folks. Because what happens next is that David's brother Kyle decides Cass needs to be punished, for without her involvement, his brother would still be alive. Kyle creates an elaborate "grave" for Cass, burying her alive, yet not killing her in an elaborate game of torture.

The entire book is told from alternating perspectives, primarily Kyle, Cass, and the lead investigator. Gail Giles craftily pulls us in, alternately making us feel pity for, and then despising all of the major players. I read this book in about a day, pressed to find out whether or not Cass would live or die.

Obviously, this book is intense, and not for the faint of heart. If you are a teacher, get this in the hands of your reluctant 14 year old + readers!

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

For all of you Twilighters looking to recapture the story of brooding love, I've got your book. For those of you who felt Twilight bordered on cheesy and need something a bit edgier, I've got something for you, too! Hush,Hush, a book recommended and loaned to me by a student (thanks, Chris!) is sure to be devoured by all of you!

When Nora is forced to work with Patch in Biology class, she embarks on a tumultuous relationship with him (btw-I'm wondering if high school students are now expecting to find true love in all science classes. YA authors-Isn't this setting getting a bit played out?). She starts out despising the casual manner in which he seems to be able to pick apart her mind and get to the things most sensitive to her, yet over time she finds herself secretly drawn to him against her better judgement. Things in Nora's life begin to take a turn for the dangerous, and she finds herself fearful for her own life. Regardless of the situation, Patch always seems to be connected. She wants to believe he is there to offer some sort of protection, but his dark and dangerous demeanor might suggest otherwise.

Within this typical story of teenage angst, Becca Fitzpatrick seamlessly ties in the idea of good versus evil in the form of fallen angels, although in my opinion she takes too long to do this. As readers, we know from reading the book jacket that Patch is most certainly the fallen angel described in the Prologue, but because we are reading the story through Nora's clueless eyes, the mystery seemed a bit drawn out.

Overall, this book is a quick read, and probably most relevant to those in grades 8 and up.

The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson

This title is the first in a series of books by one of my new favorite authors. The fourth one is set to be released at any time, and this is one of the few series where I have kept up on each book. The books are subtitled "A Forensic Mystery", and will be of high interest to fans of real crime and CSI.

Cameryn Mahoney is the daughter of a single father who just so happens to be the county coroner. Cameryn has aspirations of becoming a forensic scientist someday, and convinces her father to let her "job shadow" him so that she has a leg up on the competition someday.

In short time, Cameryn is involved in the investigation of a serial killer who adorns the body of his victims with the medallion of St. Christopher, earning him the title "The Christopher Killer". Cameryn accompanies her father to the scene of one of the killer's victims, and is upset to learn that it is a friend of hers. She quickly becomes involved not only in the investigation of the victims, but in tracking down the killer. The book is full of twist and turns as she puts herself into stressful, dangerous situations.

This book is a quick read, and although the protagonist is female, boys enjoy this book, too. Although the book isn't full of gore, there are enough details about some of the investigations to make some readers cringe! A subplot involves the mystery behind Cameryn's past and some dark secrets surrounding her mother. While the author wraps up the Christopher Killer aspect of the mystery, the reader is left with many questions about Cameryn, which are further explored in subsequent novels.

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

This book is a must read for football players and fans alike. The author spends a brief period of time setting up the background to the story, and then delves right into the world of high school football. In classic Carl Deuker style, the story is a great balance of on the field action and real life drama.

The majority of the story is set during Mick Johnson's high school career. The son of a a fallen NFL star, Mick carries the burden of living the dream for both of them. Through hard work and natural ability, Mick earns a coveted spot on the varsity team. Unfortunately, he falls short with some of his goals. His overbearing father convinces him to abandon team training to work one on one with a personal trainer, who leads him down a path that begins with legal supplements and ends with anabolic steroids (hence the title of the book). As these drugs create an initial increase in Mick's performance on the field, we see things begin slipping away elsewhere, as the side effects of steroids isolate him from family and friends.

The book ends with a surprising twist, and I applaud the author for not taking the easy, obvious way out. This is a popular title among my sports loving guy students, but as a football fan, I loved it, too! If you like this book, be sure to check out all of Carl Deuker's other titles---they are all outstanding!

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This book has been a favorite in my classroom for two years now. Since the first time I book talked it, I don't think it's been on the shelf, and every student who has read it has obsessively devoured it!

The exposition is intriguing, and the story never lets up from then on out. High school student Clay Jensen returns home from school one day to find a mysterious package at his front door. When he opens the package, he finds a number of cassette tapes and instructions. He plays the first tape and is shocked to hear the voice of Hannah Baker, a former crush who committed suicide the previous week. We learn that prior to her death, Hannah recorded detailed tapes outlining the "thirteen reasons why" she decided to end her life. She states that those in possession of the tapes are one of those reasons. It is Hannah's ultimate wish that those involved come face to face with their roles in her life. Each recipient must listen to the tapes until they hear their own story, as well as the next person on the tape. After that, he/she may continue to listen or stop. The important thing is that the tapes are delivered to the next person on the list. Hannah has entrusted someone in the community with a second set of the tapes, and instructs this person to make them public should the chain stop. This is essential, as they contain many very dark secrets of some very unlikely high school students.

The story is told in alternating points of view. We hear Clay's reaction to each of the stories, and wait in anticipation to hear his role in the story. Alternately, we hear Hannah's voice from beyond tell her very real, very painful, and very surprising story. Because of this dual perspective, both boys and girls could relate and enjoy the story.

I think this book is so important for many reasons, but mostly because it shows readers not only the effects of their actions, but of their inactions. There were so many heartbreaking moments when bystanders chose to allow Hannah to suffer alone. It also shows that sometimes it is the most unlikely person who is suffering, as Hannah is a beautiful, intelligent student at her high school.

Although I knew from the start that Hannah would end her life, I found myself pleading with her to make an alternate decision right down to the very last page.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

I am a huge fan of pretty much everything Anderson has ever written. She has the ability to truly the capture the voice of every protagonist, and every story she tells is different. This book didn't let me down, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a tense, dramatic read.

In Anderson's newest book, she tackles the topic of eating disorders. I often find that authors write about this topic in a trite, formulaic manner that is far from the experience that many actually have. Luckily, Anderson spent a lot of time doing her research, and it shows.

We meet our protagonist Lia just after she learns of the death of her friend Cassie. Cassie was found dead in a hotel room, and the details surrounding her death unfold throughout the book. Lia & Cassie had been best friends since childhood, but the relationship took a competitive and disturbing twist as the girls entered puberty. Both girls developed eating disorders, and encouraged one another in the pursuit of being thin.

At one point, the friendship broke off, and each girl is left to deal on her own. While Lia took steps towards recovery, Cassie continued her demise. Regardless, Cassie still obviously held Lia dear to her heart, as we learn she attempted to call her 33 times on the night she died. As the story unfolds, we discover the events surrounding and ultimate cause of Cassie's death. The main storyline follows Lia as the guilt of not being able to save her friend triggers a relapse. We watch helplessly as she begins taking herself, not unknowingly, down the same dangerous path her friend traveled, and it's not clear until the final pages whether or not her story will end differently.

This story pulled me in emotionally from the beginning. Although it is not "uplifting", there are definite lessons to be learned. The text can become complicated, especially since it becomes increasingly difficult to discover what is reality, and what is a figment of Lia's deteriorating mental state. I really, really recommend this book!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

This is a great read for those of you who love a good, old-fashioned ghost story. Although several elements of the story have been "done" before, that's one of the things that pulled me in. It reminded me of scary movies I watched, books I read, and stories we told when I was in middle school. A little bit of nostalgia goes a long way :)

Our main character Alexis is attempting to get through her typical high school existence as painlessly as possible. She's not exactly an "It" girl, and does her best to avoid the drama created by the cheerleaders who rule. At home, her parents are distant at best, and she's growing increasingly worried about her younger sister, Kasey.

Even though Kasey is thirteen years old, she develops a strange obsession with dolls (which, in my personal opinion, are usually creepy anyway). Kasey is behaving strangely in other ways, too, and she is becoming increasingly violent. During these episodes, she uses out-of-date language and her eyes turn from blue to green. After they occur, Kasey has no memory of them. Additionally, the house is changing. There are strange noises, cold air, and unexplained events, all of which add to the creepy mood.

Alexis begins by making excuses for her sister, but ultimately can't when her behavior becomes life threatening. The author does a great job of leading the reader down a twisting road to a climactic and dramatic ending. Special note: although the book's protagonist is female, male readers shouldn't shy away from this one! It is in no way girly, I promise!