The Radleys by Matt Haig

The Radleys is a clever, satiric novel written on the premise that there are many vampires in the world who want to live "normal" lives; they can give up hunting and killing and become like their neighbors--slightly boring and predictable, but content. Peter and Helen have become "abstainers" because they want to provide the best for their children. They delay telling the teens, Clara and Rowan, about their heritage, even though it would help explain their sensitivity to the sun, sleep and skin problems, mood swings and, with Rowan, increasingly dark and disturbing dreams and thoughts.

Try as they might, the Radleys seem a little "off" to their neighbors. Their children are unhappy; Rowan is constantly being bullied at school and Clara has only one friend besides her brother. Then the unthinkable happens--there is a kill. As Helen struggles to contain the damage and protect her children, Peter calls on his brother Will, an active vampire, to help with a cover-up. As a family and as individuals, the Radleys must eventually confront their past and face who and what they are.

This is a refreshing take on vampire lore and the co-existence of vampires and humans. The Radleys contains humor, suspense, and complex, satisfying characters. Recommended.

Those That Wake by Jesse Karp

Karp's novel is set in a dystopian New York City of the not-too-distand future. The city has lost its mojo; people walk around mechanically, tuning out those around them and staying focused on their cellphones. The city's infrastructure is crumbling and everything has become grey and lifeless. Something dark and elusive is spreading, leaving behind a surge in suicides, traffic accidents, apathy and random violence. For Laura Westlake, this has meant that her once doting parents have forgotten she ever existed. They call Homeland Security to have her removed from their home. For Mal, it is the sudden call for help from his long-absent brother. Trying to track him, he finds Tommy's girlfriend, who leads him to a building no one else can see. Searching for his brother, he is attacked by whomever or whatever guards the structure. Eventually the two teens are thrown together with two other victims of this malignant and mysterious force. Together, the four of them must try to solve the question of who or what is taking over people's minds and destroying their past., while keeping alive their own will to resist. Mal and Laura struggle to rebuild their lives in a world where no one remembers who they are.

Starting slowly, the story speeds up as the forces of unrestrained corporate power close in on the characters. Mal and Laura are resourceful and determined. Those That Wake is an adventuresome, cautionary tale, well worth reading.

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez

Marisa is a high school senior who dreams of going to college and becoming an engineer. Her favorite class is calculus, and her math teacher is encouraging her to apply to UT in Austin, certain she will be accepted. If only it were that simple. Marisa's family is Mexican, and ingrained in their culture is the commitment to familia and living a traditional life. For Marisa, this becomes daily babysitting for her 5-year old niece, Anita, while her sister Cecelia works. It means long hours as a check-out girl on weekends in order to help her family pay bills. It means cooking meals for her father when her mother is on the evening shift at a bakery. Studying for the AP Calculus exam and actually having a life of her own fall somewhere towards the bottom of the list. Marisa's boyfriend, Alan, himself a talented artist, encourages her to pursue her education, but sometimes his support comes at the price of Marisa's independence. Does she want Alan to solve her problems for her?

Perez has created a strong yet troubled teen in Marisa. Only she can figure out what her future holds, but she is torn between her need to please her family and her desire for more.

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

Laird has created a suspenseful story about a young girl's resilience in the face of persecution and betrayal. Maggie Blair is a poor orphan being raised by her strange, bitter, and often cruel grandmother. When a baby in their hamlet dies, everyone suspects that Elspeth Blair had cursed him, and both women are arrested and tried for being witches. Maggie escapes and flees to her uncle's home, where she learns that he and his family are devout Presbyterians, "Covenanters," who are secretly defying the efforts of King Charles II to place Anglican bishops in charge of their worship. During this period, known as the Killing Times, covenanters are persecuted and often tortured and executed as a consequence of their faith.

Maggie is a spirited and strong heroine, a hard worker and willing student. Her nemesis, Annie, is unrelenting in her hatred for Maggie, but actually understandable as she schemes to escape the dismal future that awaits for her. Many of the stories in the book about the Blairs and other simple farmers and their families reveal the extreme sacrifices many are willing to make for faith and are founded in actual events. Laird's book provides a compelling introduction to the hard lives and religious controversies of the time.

The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni

This is the story of the birth of a friendship and a teen punk rock band--The Rash. Friendless and isolated, Sebastian is an orphan who has been raised by his grandmother to save humanity in accordance with the philosophies of R. Buckminster Fuller. Jared is a profane, angry, cigarette-smoking punk rock fan recovering--sort of, from a heart transplant. They meet when Jared and his mother take a tour of the Pendergast's glass geodesic dome, during which Nana collapses and has to be rushed to the hospital.

Jared's mom wants Sebastian to visit her son, whose hostility alienates everyone around him. Sebastian is drawn to the Whitcombs because 1) his grandmother has become increasingly eccentric since her stroke, 2) he is alternately fascinated and repelled by Jared's personal insults and musical/cultural insights, and 3) Jared's sister Meredith is hot. Before meeting the Whitcombs, Sebastian had never tasted grilled cheese sandwiches or listened to anything but classical music. His first exposure to Jared's musical tastes, starting with the Misfits, goes as follows: "There was a brief moment of white noise; then it sounded as if someone were running a chain saw inside my head." Later, "What was that about maggots?" I asked. It was the only word I'd been able to parse."

The dialog between the teens is hugely entertaining. Sebastian speaks in the voice of someone who has only talked to his grandmother for years, so his expressions are at times archaic and stilted (she's in her eighties). Jared, on the other hand, is vulgar and witty--"Okay . . . I know I'm taking a giant * risk here. I'm going have to teach you everything [about being a bassist], and you're obviously going to do it all wrong. But I'm not looking for a Sid Vicious, you know. I just need somebody to do what I say. Not somebody with a real personality."

Despite their difference, Jared and Sebastian need each other. Together they scheme about ways to "borrow" a bass guitar from Jared's church and seek inspiration for their songs (the first one is "Stupid School"). Sebastian's crush on Meredith complicates things--Jared feels betrayed when he realizes what's happening. But the music, an upcoming gig and the challenges of their families and futures keep them going. Great read.

Tattoos on the Heart: the Power of Boundless Compassion

Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit priest who in 1985 became the pastor of Dolores Mission Church in the heart of Los Angeles gang territory. During the past 2+ decades, though his leadership and the commitment of his congregation, the church has become a center of acceptance, support, love and hope for gang members who want to change their lives. In Tattoos on the Heart, Father Boyle recounts stories of youths whom he has reached and who have in return taught him about love and the power to overcome almost overwhelming odds of childhoods spent in poverty, violence and rejection. Father Boyle writes with wit and sadness; it's hard to read this book without both laughing and crying. With a goal of helping former gang members find real jobs, Father Boyle established Homeboy Industries. Getting to know the young people that have passed through Homeboy Industries has provided moments of great joy for Boyle as well as unimaginable grief at the senseless murder of so many. Highly recommended.

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

According to data posted on the website of the Washington State Attorney General, relationship violence is the number one cause of injury to women ages 15-44. Seventy percent of severe or fatal injuries occur when a woman seeks to end an abusive relationship. In a 2005 survey, one in five teenagers (ages 13-18) reported feeling threatened by violence when attempting to break up with an abusive partner. Thirteen percent of teenage girls reported being hit by their partner. (Survey: Love is Not Abuse) Various studies have shown that the frequency of domestic and relationship violence has increased during the recent economic downturn.

In the Bitter End, Alex tells her story of her life before Cole--losing her mother at an early age, being emotionally distant from her father, feeling like a loser at school. When sports star and overall great guy Cole Cozen transfers to Alex's high school, she becomes his English tutor to help him get caught up. Over time, their relationship deepens. Cole is romantic, thoughtful and cool, and he makes her feel special and understands her. Then the abuse starts--just a painful squeeze or a push at first, followed by remorse and loving attention. Then there is the increasing awareness that he is following her and making accusations about her relationship with her friends, Bethany and Zack. Part of Alex knows she's in trouble, but another part doesn't want to lose Cole when he is at his most affectionate.

Brown tells of Alex's struggles in a realistic and sympathetic way. Alex has friends, but cannot bring herself to tell what is happening, especially since she thinks it is her own fault. Fear, isolation, self-doubt are all part of an abuse victim's profile. (Only 33% of abused teens report on their abuse to a friend (ibid).) Alex's two friends try to help, but Alex snubs them. The tension mounts as Alex moves closer to making a choice and dealing with the consequences.

This is a moving and informative account of dealing with dating violence. Recommended.