Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Quirk Books, 2011
352 pages
approximate age: 12+

Sixteen year old Jacob is at the point in his life where he's ready to face adulthood, and for him that means at last acknowledging that all the fanciful stories his grandfather told him about his grandfather's adolescence in a orphanage with a group of children that each had extraordinary powers are indeed make-believe. Of course they were just fairy tales -- this is the real world and physics-defying children simply do not exist and believing in them is not rational, not normal, and not cool. But then something terrible happens to Grandpa Portman and Jacob is sure he sees the monster, yes real-life monster, responsible -- a twist of fate that turns all his well-ordered adult logic on its head and leads him back to one question -- what if the stories were real? Only a trip to the small, desolate Welsh island that was once home to Grandpa Portman and the other peculiar orphans may hold the answers Jacob needs to solve the mystery about his grandfather's life once and for all. But Jacob is not the only one hunting Miss Peregrine's Home and its inhabitants, and danger is much closer than Jacob could possibly know.

Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children is a tightly woven fantasy/mystery that combines the whimsical with the delightfully creepy. Peppered throughout the book are photographs of the children and Miss Peregrine, the orphanage's head, and the photos' antiquated appearance along with their frequently bizarre compositions can really send chills up readers' spines. Unbelievably, since the pictures blend-in perfectly with the story, they are all real vintage photographs that Riggs was lent from collectors, which makes them even more thought-provoking and disturbing.

In addition, the elements of the fantastical in the novel blend well with Jacob's regular-guy character. Beginning the book in a familiar setting causes the transition into the strange island of the orphans to be even more magical because it has roots in a world we know all too well. Readers will want to be in Jacob's shoes as he discovers these amazing boys and girls, not stuck in their dull, ordinary lives.

There is also an aura of mystery that spans the entire book. At first readers are curious about Jacob's grandfather's stories. Are they entirely real? Does the grandfather really have something to fear as he believes? And then, when readers find the wonderful orphanage they wonder if the orphans are all they seem -- or is their something dark lurking behind their smiles? Is an unnamed threat really after them? Is it after Jacob, too? Just when readers think they've answered one question, Riggs gives them three more to ponder as they feverishly turn the pages.

Finally, the ending is satisfying, yet open for a much hoped for sequel. With no explicit sexuality or violence, librarians should feel comfortable freely recommending this book to middle and high school students.


Official Book Trailer:



Read-alike suggestions:

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

The Glass Demon by Helen Grant

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Slice of Cherry

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
published by Simon Pulse, 2011
512 pages
approximate age range: 15+

Two teenage sisters growing into young women, learning about themselves and each other, discovering love -- it seems like a story told a thousand times before. But, now add in a serial killer father in prison, magic, the ability to transport themselves and others to another dimension, torture, and death -- lots of death -- and you'll find Slice of Cherry is like nothing you've ever read. Sisters Kit and Fancy are outsiders in the town of Portero, a crazy magical place full of portals to other worlds and fearsome monsters. Their father is the notorious Bonesaw Killer who was finally convicted and sentenced after the multiple murders he committed stunned the town. Shunned by their community, Kit and Fancy create their own world, one in which they begin to follow in their father's bloody footsteps, but unlike daddy dearest, they decide to choose victims who are not innocent, people they feel are worthy of death. The sisters also discover that with a special gadget they find in their basement, they can create their own dimension, a place where they are queens and can change anything just by wishing it -- a perfect place to hide the corpses of their victims. Kit and Fancy are an unstoppable team, but when Kit falls hard for a local boy with his own secrets and Fancy feels abandoned, can they survive each other?

Slice of Cherry is not for the faint of heart -- or faint of stomach. Kit and Fancy really learned a lot from their serial killer dad, and Reeves has no problem describing just how much the apples fall near the tree. Their kills are rendered in detail, and not all victims are really worthy of their gruesome deaths. Consequently, Kit and Fancy are not exactly likeable heroines. Though they are interesting, their psychology, especially why they feel inclined to kill, is touched on, but not explored in-depth, and we remain on the surface of their lives rather than inside their heads. The excerpts from Fancy's dream diary that begin each chapter do let us see a little of Fancy's motivations, but it is not a thorough picture and we never get in Kit's head at all. Though Reeves sets high expectations with her unique premise, she does not quite deliver as we never really connect with or understand Fancy and Kit and they continue to feel foreign.

Moreover, there are lots of wonky and disturbing scenes that keep the reader's interest, but many seem to come out of nowhere are are not explained beyond the assertion that anything can happen in Portero (Reeves fans may remember Portero as it is also the setting to her first novel Bleeding Violet). Moreover, though Kit and Fancy grow as characters, their change is tied almost solely to their relationships with boys, which seems like a dubious message to send to young girls.

However, though it has faults, Slice of Cherry is still a fun and intriguing read. Full of humorous moments, in addition to the gore, readers oscillate between gags and laughs. All the Portero weirdness also makes it impossible to guess what will happen next, and ensures Slice of Cherry will be painful to put down. When recommending, note that both sisters engage in sexual relationships that are treated positively and as natural for teenagers, as in Bleeding Violet.


Read-alike suggestions:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Lips Touch: Three Times edited by Laini Taylor and Jim DiBartolo

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

House of Many Ways

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
published by Greenwillow Books, 2008
416 pages
approximate age range: 10+

Charmain Baker has led a very proper -- and very dull -- life doing only very proper things with very proper people. Well, up until now, that is. When her imposing great aunt Sempronia asks Charmain to house sit for her Great Uncle William, the royal wizard of High Norland, Charmain realized this is finally her chance to get out from under her mother's thumb and experience a bit more out of life. But Charmain, whose extracurricular activities to date have only involved reading books, has no idea how much her life will change from the moment she walks in the door of Great Uncle William's magical maze of a house, a strange place where one single doorway leads to a vast number of rooms and other places throughout High Norland. From her first day on the job Charmain immediately finds herself doing things she has never done before -- caring for a loveable, but peculiar, stray dog named Waif, attempting to do magic herself, squaring off against an evil beast called a lubbock, preventing an apprentice wizard, Peter, from making a giant mess wit another bad spell, and even -- Charmain can hardly believe it -- washing dishes and doing laundry. Charmain's life gets even more exciting when she is offered an additional position as a library assistant to the king and she is thrown into a nefarious royal intrigue involving a great deal of missing gold and a mysterious elf gift. With the help of Sophie Pendgragon, Wizard Howl, and fire demon Calcifer, who are already on the case, Charmain must discover how the secrets of Great Uncle William's house connect to the mystery at the castle before all of High Norland falls into the hands of something truly evil.

If you've read Howl's Moving Castle or watched the Miyazaki anime of the same name, then you have already met Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer and discovered what sorts of hilarious and exciting adventures they often find themselves in. Yet, even if you haven't a clue what a fire demon even is, Charmain's story works so perfectly as a standalone tale that you won't even realize you're reading a sequel. Wynne Jones really creates a world that you won't want to leave -- one that is both believable and magical, a quirky place where you will alternate from pausing in peals of laughter, to frantically turning pages to see what happens next. Teens will love spunky Charmain and appreciate House's fast pace and short, kookily-titled chapters. The anime tie-in can be a real plus for recruiting hesitant readers, especially if they are manga fans. In addition, audiobook listeners are in for a real treat as reader Jenny Sterlin is so skilled at creating different voices for each character you'll feel like you're listening to a full cast.


Read-alike suggestions:

Howl's Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connolly

The Passage

The Passage by Justin Cronin
published by Ballantine Books, 2010

784 pages

approximate age range: 15+

Technically this book contains vampires. Technically. But none of them are named Edward, none of them sparkle, and no one is falling in love with them. Not even a little bit. Spanning almost a hundred years, The Passage is a prodigious epic that takes us through America as it descends into a devastating cataclysm and then follows survivors trying to build lives in a horrifying post-apocalyptic world. At the beginning we meet Amy, a normal 6 year old who is living an impoverished life with her mother who loves her, but does not have the means to care for her. We also meet Wolgast, an FBI agent with nothing to lose since the death of his daughter and his divorce. These two are thrown together when Wolgast is assigned to bring Amy to a secret facility in Colorado where military scientists are working on Project Noah, a series of experiments involving infecting death row inmates with a virus from the jungles of South America in the hopes of making them into the ultimate weapons -- soldiers that have super strength and live forever. Not surprisingly this research does not go according to plan and the unstoppable vampire-like creatures that the scientists have created escape, killing or infecting everyone in their path and bringing forth the demise of an entire nation, and possibly, the entire world.

For teens that like being completely immersed in a world, getting to know a handful of characters, and following them on their journeys, The Passage will be a satisfying and engaging read. While the novel starts off with a lot of action, the pace slows throughout the middle of the work, becoming more of a character study than a thriller. At over 750 pages, this is a long book, and as Cronin has noted, The Passage is the first in a trilogy, so there is much more to come. Consequently, readers who love engrossing themselves in books and have hearty attention spans will enjoy this saga and appreciate Cronin's detailed timeline and attention to creating very realistic and relatable characters.

However, many readers may feel that The Passage is simply too long and would benefit from having a few hundred pages edited out. The middle of the book moves slowly, turning immediately from an adventure tale that takes place during the heart of an apocalypse to a slow story about a town of survivors 90 years later, their thoughts and feelings, and how they formed a society in a drastically different world. It is not until the last third of the work that the action picks up again and re-energizes readers, by which time it may be too late for many teens. Another post-apocalyptic book like Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin would be a better bet for most teens as it contains many of the same scenarios and themes (a town of people alone in a desolate world overrun by monsters, the struggles survivors face daily, how they have formed a new society when the world was destroyed), yet the pacing is much quicker, the action is more frequent, and the dedication needed to finish it is much smaller (Rot and Ruin is only 480 pages).

Still, don't be daunted in recommending this book to interested teens. While the action in The Passage does get a bit bloody at times, not surprising when murderous vampires are on the loose, it never becomes overly graphic. In addition, while sexual relationships are discussed, they also remain more hinted at than explicitly described and though mature themes are brought forth through secondary characters who, for instance, have pasts laced with murder, pedophilia, and rape, for the most part the particulars of these events are not discussed in detail.

Cronin has mentioned in interviews that a sequel is on its way, though his most hopeful estimate of its release date is 2013, so fans who want to learn what happens after The Passage's cliffhanger ending will have a long wait ahead of them.

The Passage has an official website with news, video, and even an I-Phone app: http://enterthepassage.com/

There is also a book trailer:

Read-alike suggestions:

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

The Walking Dead graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Alice in Zombieland

Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook and Lewis Carroll
published by Sourcebooks, 2011
256 pages
approximate age range: 12+

You know this story, of course: once upon a time Alice was dreadfully bored and so followed a talking black rat down an empty grave and ended up in a horrific world where almost everyone was dead, or undead, or on their way to being one or the other. Wait, that doesn't sound quite right, does it? In this tongue in cheek parody of the well-known classic, Nickolas Cook lets his dark imagination run wild while sticking to most of the events of the original, but with a few twists of course -- Lewis Carroll probably never imagined his sweet heroine as a zombie herself with a strong craving for the flesh of Wonderland's inhabitants.

"'... How are you getting on now, my dear?' it continued, turning to Alice as it spoke.

'Hungry -- I mean as wet as ever,' said Alice in a melancholy tone: 'it doesn't seem to dry me at all.'
The Dodo looked her over humorlessly, his little eyes staring at her wilting hair and pale skin.
Alice's brow furrowed in aggravation and she was about to say something, but as she opened her mouth to speak, one of her teeth tumbled from her mouth, and she was so disturbed to see it fall to the ground, she kept her mouth close-lipped from that moment on. Her hair was falling out, and now her teeth, too? Alice felt a chill wash over her that could not be blamed solely on being soaking wet."

Despite having been written over 150 years ago, Alice in Wonderland is still a popular work today, having spawned movies, miniseries, comics, and various re-workings, such as Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars series. Teens will enjoy seeing a story they've grown up with mutated into a gross-out zombie parody that still maintains the basic structure of Carroll's tale. The original illustrations by John Tenniel are also slightly, but skillfully, redone, now containing extra gore, insanity, and un-death, making them quite amusing for readers with strong stomachs. While not startling unique, Alice in Zombieland is a fun romp and a quick read that will swing delighted readers from amusement to horror to disgust and back again.

Read-alike suggestions:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S. G. Browne

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Pretty Monsters

Pretty Monsters: Stories by Kelly Link
published by Viking Juvenile, 2008
400 pages
approximate age range: 13+

What sort of tales would a collection contain if it were written with a sly smile and only during the witching hours of moonless nights? When reading Pretty Monsters, it's easy to imagine author Kelly Link spinning these stories for us from a distant world, like a mischievous fairy godmother crafting the perfect bedtime stories for her beloved, and slightly twisted, charges. For instance, within Pretty Monsters readers will gleefully meet a plethora of intriguing characters such as: a hapless poet who digs up the wrong grave and finds himself unable to escape its curious and lovely undead occupant; sisters who find that their awesome new baby sitter might not be an entirely normal, or living, young woman; a fan of a fantastical tv show who makes a surprising discovery that his favorite fantasy world may not be the imaginative fiction its viewers have believed it to be; and a girl who searches for her late aunt's lost furry handbag that magically holds a demon dog and an entire town.

Though its content may be difficult to briefly describe to prospective readers, Pretty Monsters is an engaging collection of deliciously bizarre, enchanting, and wholly creative short stories that will ensnare anyone who loves magical realism, curious events, and subtle doses of the supernatural. Many stories begin somewhat normally with characters and situations that seem perfectly reasonable, but then Link weaves her spell and each narrative quietly, but surely, turns to something that readers cannot possibly expect, but will delight them just the same. Link's storytelling skills and her use of language are exquisite and though Pretty Monsters is often labeled as teen fiction for its plucky young protagonists, it can easily charm older readers as well.

Read-alike suggestions:

Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

Stranger Things Happen by Kelly Link

St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell

Willful Creatures by Aimee Bender

Unexpected Magic: Collected Stories by Diana Wynne Jones

ghostgirl

ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley
published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2008
336 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Charlotte Usher has been virtually invisible at high school, but she hopes all that is about to change. After a summer of personal improvement, Charlotte starts school with a brand new makeover and one goal: get gorgeous Damen to fall for her, take her to the Fall Ball, and give her an exquisite midnight kiss. Not even Damen's popular and perfect girlfriend Petula can stop her, especially after Charlotte lucks out when she's assigned as Damen's lab partner and he asks her to be his physics tutor. Swoon! But then fate deals Charlotte a terrible blow just when she thinks things are going her way -- death by asphyxiation on a gummy bear. Now, Charlotte really is invisible, but she's not going to let that stop her from achieving her dream. With the help of her new friend Scarlet, Petula's goth little sister and the only person who can see her, Charlotte must find a way to get to the Fall Ball with Damen -- even if it means breaking every rule there is to being dead.

More satire than romance, ghostgirl is a surprisingly lighthearted comedy about high school and death. Hurley's novel is full of a lot of hilarious scenes, snappy dialogue, and tongue-in-cheek caricatures of well-known high school stereotypes: the popular girl, the crushable guy, the in-crowd clique, the goth girl. Reluctant readers will love the short chapters, quick pacing, and adorable black and pink illustrations that begin each chapter.

Even so, parts of ghostgirl fall a bit flat due to many of the characters being, well, flat. Though Charlotte does grow a lot throughout the book, for the first half she is a rather one-dimensional, and pathetic, character without many likable traits due to the fact her entire being is centered around achieving popularity and getting Damen. Scarlet is much more interesting right from her first appearance, and it might puzzle readers why a self-assured individual like Scarlet would give Charlotte the time of day, especially after the novelty of having a ghost as a friend has worn off. Petula, too, is a static villain with no redeeming qualities and who is clearly only around as an obstacle for Charlotte and for comedic effect. However, readers will enjoy Hurley's treatment of Damen, which is much more detailed as he emerges as an interesting leading man with a real personality and unique interests.

Yet despite these drawbacks, many aspects of ghostgirl are very enjoyable like the descriptions of the new ghost high school Charlotte attends, especially her morbid classmates who still show the injuries that caused their deaths -- some of which are delightfully gruesome. ghostgirl ends with a satisfying conclusion, one which proves just how much Charlotte has evolved from the beginning of the book. Currently, there are two sequels which follow Charlotte, Scarlet, Damen, and Petula on a few more supernatural adventures: ghostgirl: Homecoming and ghostgirl: Lovesick.

The ghostgirl series also has a wonderful official website: http://www.ghostgirl.com/

The third book in the series has a trailer with an original song by musician Polly Scattergood:


Read-alike suggestions:

ghostgirl: Homecoming by Tonya Hurley

ghostgirl: Lovesick by Tonya Hurley

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper

Ship Breaker

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010

336 pages

approximate age level: 12+

National Book Award finalist

Printz Award Winner, 2011

There are a lot of things that Nailer doesn't know: how old he is, if he's going to get enough to eat, when he's going to lose his job, if his father is going to drink and hit him again when Nailer finally makes it home to his shanty house after another grueling day. Nailer's just a normal kid but was unlucky enough to be born in a slum on the Gulf Coast in the not too distant future, so instead of going to school or doing chores, he struggles to survive as a member of a light crew, a group of kids like him that work long hours disassembling old, rusty oil takers and taking what valuable parts are left, like copper wiring. It's a rough life -- Nailer barely gets paid and will soon be forced out of his job, and left with virtually no other work options, when he grows too big to crawl through the tiny ship ducts. His only hope is for a Lucky Strike, or a windfall so good it will lift him out of his miserable life forever. Then one day he miraculously finds a giant Lucky Strike -- a wrecked clipper ship off the coast that's full of valuable treasure. But there is one problem -- the owner of the ship, a young girl, is trapped on board but still alive. She promises Nailer riches beyond anything he has ever imagined if he will only help her. But is she lying? Nailer must decide if simply a life worth living is worth killing for or if this mysterious girl really can take him farther than he has dared to dream.

Ship Breaker is a novel that undulates, mirroring the ocean, an important and ubiquitous part of the setting. Parts are full of action and and move as quickly as a hurricane, then things slow down and Bacigalupi focuses on the characters who are revealed to us one layer at a time until the climax, which is as much about a finale to the drama as a revelation of what intentions and desires many characters have been harboring inside themselves. Nailer is a plucky protagonist with shades of Oliver Twist whom the reader can't help but root for despite seemingly enormous odds. A collection of other characters, such as Nailer's friend Pima, her mother Sadna, and even, eventually, the mysterious girl from the clipper, are multifaceted, surviving by their own unique moral compasses that are neither commendable or detestable, but understandable given their lives and circumstances. The dystopian setting is described in a detailed and believable manner and is a persuasive enough future to be rather unsettling. Even with its dark moments, such as more than a few violent and unnatural deaths, Ship Breaker is an enjoyable adventure that will leave readers satisfied and hopeful. Though Ship Breaker is Bacigalupi's only YA novel, readers may also enjoy his first work, The Windup Girl.

Read-alike suggestions:

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
published by Henry Holt and Co., 2010
352 pages
approximate age range: 13+
Morris Award Finalist

Samhain Corvus LeCroix, Sam for short, is having a hard time getting his life together since he dropped out of college and took a job in a fast food joint called Plumpy's. He's barely making ends meet and has no personal life to speak of, but at least he's got the company of his friends Ramon, Brooke, and Kevin to help him get through his cringe-worthy shifts. Then, Sam's boring world changes in a flash when a terrifying man, Douglas Montgomery, comes into the restaurant and instantly recognizes something important about Sam he never even knew about himself -- that, like Douglas, Sam's a necromancer and, with the right training, he can talk to, and even raise, the dead. From there, Sam's life only gets creepier. To send Sam a message that he's in charge and doesn't like competition, Douglas has a werewolf beat Sam to a pulp and then cuts off Brooke's head and has it delivered to Sam in a box -- still talking. Now with Ramon, Kevin, and Brooke, who may only be a head, but is still her smart and sassy self, Sam has one week to discover what he can about the powers he never knew he had and face Douglas or lose everyone he loves, as well as his life.

Sherman Alexie sums up Hold Me Closer, Necromancer best with his quote from the cover: "This is a SCARY funny book OR a FUNNY scary book. In any case, it is a GREAT book. I LOVE IT." While it might seem hard for one book to straddle the line between laugh-out-loud funny and chills-up-your-spine-scary, Necromancer does so with ease and neither the funny nor scary moments seemed forced or out of place. The urban fantasy world McBride creates is creative and unique, and as readers slowly discover its secrets with Sam, we become more and more intrigued. Sam himself is a likeable, well-rounded character, as are his friends, though McBride also skillfully shifts the perspective throughout the novel, at times telling the story from a handful of different characters, such as Brid, a shapeshifter girl and fellow victim of Douglas, Sam's mom Tia, and even evil Douglas himself. Each character's voice is distinct and easily recognizable, and these different view points flesh out the story and show past events and current motivations in a way that wouldn't be possible with a single perspective. In addition, there's plenty of action -- some comedic, some creepy -- to keep even the most reluctant reader entertained. However, Necromancer does contain some violence and brief sexuality, so cautiously recommend to younger readers. Though the book winds up in a way that's satisfying, McBride leaves plenty of room for a sequel, which most enamored readers will feel can't come quickly enough.

There are two official book trailers:






Read-alike suggestions:

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

The Gates by John Connolly

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Zombies vs. Unicorns

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

published by Margaret K. McElderry, 2010

432 pages

approximate age range: 13+

Ah, the age old question -- which does the esteemed reader prefer: staggering, brain devouring zombies, or magical, majestic unicorns? Been there, done that? Okay, what about pitiful, pining zombies longing for love or ferocious, man-eating unicorns menacing society? In this collection of short stories gathered by well-known YA authors Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, readers may find that it's hard to choose sides in the zombie vs. unicorn debate as stereotypes of each are shattered and both are reinvented in very innovative and, at times, rather humorous ways. Garth Nix, Libba Bray, Scott Westefeld, Carrie Ryan, Meg Cabot, and many more popular teen authors toss their hats into the ring, forming teams that dream up tall tales about their favorite creature and face off for the reader's affection. Each story is thoughtfully labeled with a picture of either a zombie or a unicorn so any readers that are adamant about not reading stories from the competition can easily avoid them. In addition, excerpts of an ongoing snippy, tongue-in-cheek conversation between Black (team unicorn) and Larbalestier (team zombie) on the positives and negatives of each prefaces every story and sets the quirky, off-the-wall tone of the collection.

Zombies vs. Unicorns is an easy sell to teens as it's a short story collection with a little bit of everything that will appeal to a wide range of readers and fans of different genres and authors. There are hilarious stories, gory stories, thoughtful stories, romantic stories, post-apocalyptic stories, and so on -- all of which give a fresh, worthwhile look at what one may feel like are two over-examined genres. Every writer is on top of his or her game and it's clear that they had fun with these short fictions that are some of the most creative and clever readers will come across. Narrative voices vary wildly from a runway girl living on the streets, to a princess, to a teenage cop, to a zombie himself. In addition, a couple of stories have gay and lesbian protagonists whose sexual orientation is portrayed in a positive way and deftly interwoven with the supernatural plots. Even so, though Zombies vs. Unicorns is a fun collection with a lot to love, beware when recommending it to younger or more sensitive readers as many of the stories contain mature content such as profanity, teenage sexuality, violent imagery, and, in one instance, alluded-to bestiality.

The official book trailer is appropriately hilarious:

Read-alike suggestions:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connolly

White Cat by Holly Black

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maburry

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Lockdown

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace, book 1 by Alexander Gordon Smith

published by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2009

288 pages

approximate age level: 13+

14 year old Alex knows that his life of petty theft and home invasions isn't going to end well, but it's hard to give up when his family is poor and his best friend keeps inviting him on new jobs. Finally, Alex promises himself he'll quit -- right after he helps Toby hit one more house. It should be easy since the owners aren't even home, but things go terribly wrong when horrifying men come out of nowhere, kill Toby, and frame Alex for his murder. Unfortunately for Alex, because of a bloody crime spree a few years ago, all juveniles convicted of murder are sent immediately to Furnace, a privately owned prison built underground where kids and teens will spend the rest of their lives without visitors, sunlight, or any hope of parole. And that's not even the worst part -- not many teens in Furnace survive long since if the other inmates, the guards, or the vicious dogs don't get them, the strange men wearing gas masks that come in the middle of the night will. As soon as he arrives, Alex finds out that Furnace really is a hell on earth and he has only one hope of survival -- escape.

Lockdown is part mystery and part thriller, with some very creepy, supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. Alex is a likable narrator, and readers will be rooting for him as he tries to uncover the mysteries of Furnace and plot his escape. Boys will love the all-guys prison atmosphere, compete with inmate fights, skinless, man-eating dogs, mutated guards, and even, perhaps, the devil himself playing warden. The descriptions of the prison are detailed enough to set a dark tone and put reader nerves on edge, and the action is continuous from first page to last. However, action is not the only compelling element, as the relationships between the boys are very believable and the main characters well-rounded and sympathetic. Because it's the first in a series, Lockdown doesn't answer all the questions it poses and ends on a dramatic cliffhanger that guarantees readers will be looking for the next book (luckily, Solitary has already been published).

Book trailer:

Bonus video of author Alexander Gordon Smith introducing his Furnace series:

Read-alike suggestions:

Solitary: Escape from Furnace, book 2 by Alexander Gordon Smith

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Gentlemen by Michael Northrop

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Rot and Ruin

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
published by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, 2010
464 pages
approximate age level: 12+

15 year old Benny Imura really, really needs a job. But he doesn't just want some extra pocket change, he wants to have enough food to eat. In Benny's world, zombies have taken over and his entire universe is one small town surrounded by tall fences that keep the undead at bay. Since there isn't a lot of anything, Benny's got to do something if he wants to keep his rations coming. After failing at a string of jobs like locksmith, fence tester, carpet coat salesman, and erosion artist, to name a few, Benny is forced to take the one job he swore to himself he'd never take -- apprentice to his older half-brother, and town hero, Tom, who kills zombies out in the wild and dangerous lands beyond the gates, called the Rot and Ruin. True, being a zombie bounty hunter, or, as Tom refers to himself -- a closer specialist -- sounds cool, but Benny can't stomach following in Tom's footsteps after what he did years ago -- abandoning Benny's mother to die by zombie attack while he fled like a coward. Yet, out in the wilderness with Tom, Benny discovers things that change what he was sure he knew -- about his town, about the zombies, and even about who the real enemies are. For Benny, in the untamed and unpoliced Rot and Ruin, zombies aren't even the most dangerous threat.

Though the first few pages of Rot and Ruin are similar to a few other YA zombie novels, Maberry doesn't fall into a stereotypical rut and soon takes things for a turn few readers will expect. While there is plenty of action and lots of zombies lurching about, Rot and Ruin's central focus is on relationships and society, particularly how people behave in a world where normal society has completely broken down and there are no longer any rules. Maberry's characters develop naturally throughout the novel, and even secondary characters are well-formed enough to draw and maintain reader interest. Moreover, a running discussion of how zombies are perceived by the living -- not just as mindless killers, but as the remains of loved ones -- is an important addition lacking in most other zombie books. The questions this story raises for readers would make it a good choice for a book discussion, especially a Guys Read program. It’s also nice to see a non-white protagonist in a popular YA novel (Benny is half Japanese). The ending wraps things up nicely, but leaves room for a hinted-at sequel.

There's no book trailer, but here is an interesting video of author Jonathan Maberry talking about Rot and Ruin:

Read-alike suggestions:

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

World War Z by Max Brooks

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

The Stone Child

The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki
published by Random House Books for Young Readers, 2009
288 pages
approximate age level: 9-13

Twelve-year old Eddie Fennicks thinks it’s pretty neat that he’s moving to Gatesweed, the town where his absolute favorite author Nathaniel Olmstead used to live and work before he mysteriously disappeared thirteen years earlier. In fact, Eddie can’t believe his luck when before he’s even unpacked, his antique-hunting parents give him what appears to be a battered journal by Olmstead himself written in code. Excited to investigate the book, and the ominous sounding “Olmstead Curse,” Eddie starts asking questions around town -- but something strange is going on in Gatesweed, something its residents are too scared to talk about, something that has to do with Olmstead and his terrifying stories. Soon Eddie and his friends Maggie and Harris start seeing really creepy things -- unnatural creatures that bear a striking resemblance to the monsters they thought existed only in Olmstead's imagination. But what if everything he wrote is real? Eddie’s been reading Olmstead's books for years -- now, can he survive living in one?

Fans of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz who are unsure about what to read next can rejoice because The Stone Child is a truly creepy, stay-awake-all-night-with-the-light-on story that is perfect for them. There aren’t many children’s books that could be classified as horror, but The Stone Child definitely fits the bill and is an incredibly readable mix of spookiness and mystery that will draw readers in and keep them guessing until the last page. Poblocki is an expert at creating the perfect unsettling atmosphere for his story that gives readers chills even before any real action has begun. Moreover, the twist that the deadly monsters have seemingly crawled out of horror novels, just like the one readers are holding in their hands, adds an extra spine-tingling level of creepiness that may have them looking over their shoulders more than once.

While there's no official book trailer, here's a great one made by http://booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com/:


Read-alike suggestions:

The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz

The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney

The Zombie Chasers

The Zombie Chasers by John Kloepfer, illustrated by Steve Wolfhard
published by HarperCollins, 2010
224 pages
approximate age level: 9-12

On the way home one Friday Zack Clarke is a bit puzzled that his neighborhood seems dead quiet, but he has more important things to worry about – like his older sister Zoe and her awful friend Madison forcing him into a “makeover” and plastering his lipsticked shame all over the internet. Then Madison eats the last slice of his super delicious birthday cake that he had been craving all day and Zack thinks his day can't possibly get any worse. But it does -- Zack soon finds out that everyone in his neighborhood has become a brain-eating zombie when they descend upon his house and turn his sister into the walking dead. Now, on the run for his life with snotty Madison and his dorky friend Rice, Zack must evade the zombies, make it to a safe zone, and possibly un-zombify Zoe, preferably before his parents find out.

The Zombie Chasers is a silly romp with slap stick action, snappy dialogue, and cartoon illustrations of scenes from the story cropping up every couple of pages. Boys will love all the zombie vs. kids confrontations, especially the multiple gross-out scenes, and the illustrations will appeal to reluctant readers. It's not going to win any awards for exemplary literature, but The Zombie Chasers is a lot of fun and a quick and easy read that kids will find appealing enough to pick up – and finish. Try to stay alive for the sequel Undead Ahead coming out March 29, 2011.

The Zombie Chasers also has a nifty official website with games and a zombie survival guide.

Read-alike suggestions:

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series by Dav Pilkey

My Weird School Daze series by Dan Gutman

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

The Curse of the Wendigo

The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey
published by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, 2010
448 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Will Henry and Dr. Percival Warthrop are back again with another bone-chilling mystery. Although he studies extraordinary creatures that most would consider to be monsters, Dr. Warthrop considers these monsters to be no more than interesting animals and his research to be very respectable. So, when he finds out that his colleague and former teacher Dr. Von Helrung is about to publish a paper that claims a mythical, magical beast, the Wendigo, is real, Warthrop takes it upon himself to disprove Von Helrung's claims, afraid that they will discredit Monstrumology. But, disproving the Wendigo may be harder than Warthrop first thinks when a fellow monstrumologist and his one-time best friend, John Chandler, goes missing in the Canadian wilderness while hunting the beast. Suddenly finding himself on a grueling chase with his master through the untamed woods in search of Chandler, or what's left of him, twelve year old Will Henry starts to see things that Warthrop can't – strange, unexplainable things that point to one conclusion – the Wendigo is very real, and very, very hungry.

Fans of The Monstrumologist are in for a real treat with The Curse of the Wendigo as the sequel lives up to the expectations of the first novel, and even exceeds them. Wendigo is a taunt thrill ride that's full of the nightmarish situations, scary monsters, and unbridled gore that readers have come to know and love. Yet, Wendigo also greatly expands on Warthrop's character, showing readers there is much more than meets the eye to this seemingly one-dimensional scientist. In fact, the nuanced and subtle way Warthop's character is expanded is so well done, it would not be out of place in a literary adult novel. Some strong ladies also make their debut and hold their own against Will and Warthrop, proving monstrumology isn't just for men. The constant changes in location, thrilling chases, dark mystery, and a new, even more gruesome monster, make The Curse of the Wendigo a hard book to put down, and perfect for teen readers with short attention spans. Hopefully Yancey will soon add a third volume of Will Henry's adventures for us to enjoy.

Read-alike suggestions:

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

The Last Apprentice Series by Joseph Delaney

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

American Gods

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
published by William Morrow, 2001
480 pages
approximate age level: 16+
Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker award winner

Shadow is a guy down-on-his luck, but as he nears the end of his 3 year prison sentence, he is hoping things will turn around. He's got a job lined up, a beautiful wife to go back to, and a best friend who's throwing him a party. Yet, before he's even out of the big house, Shadow learns his wife's dead, she was having an affair with his friend who was going to hire him, and he's dead too. Then, on a plane caught in a sudden violent storm tearing across the United States, Shadow meets Mr. Wednesday, a mysterious gentleman who has one eye, knows more about Shadow than a stranger possibly could, and wants him to be his bodyguard. When Shadow eventually accepts, one unplanned rental-car road trip later, he learns that Mr. Wednesday is a neglected god, fading from the consciousness of modern America – but not quietly. Mr. Wednesday is preparing for a great battle between the old gods and new ones, those born of humanity's love of technology -- a showdown that will probably result in complete annihilation of both. A storm is definitely brewing, and Shadow is standing right in its path.

American Gods, companion novel to Anansi Boys (Mr. Nancy being the connecting character), is a fantastical road trip and compelling mystery. Sure to appeal to older teenagers, especially boys, American Gods is a darker and more mature read than Anansi Boys and, unlike the latter, does include some rather explicit sex scenes and violence, so recommend to younger readers or groups with caution. Despite the many mythological and folklore aspects, readers don't need to know all the references to enjoy the book (for those that are curious, the American Gods Wikipedia page helps make many of the connections between characters and myths). While enjoyable overall, some readers may feel that sometimes that the plot gets a little dull as it meanders through all the road trip stops when the main mystery is sidelined since Shadow's character isn't nuanced enough to maintain reader interest alone. However, Gaiman's use of real-life attractions to play host to marvelous events is pretty neat and sure to make you want to take a road trip of your own. Shadow reappears in Gaiman's short story "The Monarch of the Glen," found in his collection Fragile Things.

Read-alike suggestions:

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me edited by Kate Bernheimer

Bad Girls Don't Die

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
published by Hyperion Book CH, 2009
352 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Alexis is a high school outsider with pink hair, a slacker attitude, a crusade against a group of mean cheerleaders, and only a camera for a best friend. Life's not great, but she can handle it, until she notices a strange light moving around her house and her little sister Kasey starts acting very odd. First Kasey's love of dolls turns into an obsession, leading her to break her friend's arm when she harmlessly tries to touch one. Then Kasey starts to act even stranger, speaking in old-fashioned diction and losing her memory of periods of time; her eyes even change color – from blue to green. When doors start to open and close and appliances turn on and off on their own, Alexis finally has to admit what's happening, as unbelievable as it sounds – her sister is possessed. But the spirit isn't content with parlor tricks and Alexis needs to save Kasey before whatever is controlling her carries out its evil plans that put Alexis and her whole family in serious danger.

Bad Girls Don't Die is a legitimately frightening mystery and Alender is an expert at creating a chilling atmosphere while also writing believable characters and situations. Alexis is a stellar narrator with a very appealing smart, sarcastic tone and independent spirit. Despite her misfit actions, she's a positive role-model for teenage readers, especially as she constantly stands up for herself and grows and recognizes her mistakes and prejudices. The ghost story is somewhat formulaic, but still compelling, and the way it slowly builds is a real page turner. There is a bit of romance, but it stays to the sidelines, though I was pleased to see that the object of Alexis' (eventual) affections is not your stereotypical prince charming – he's a fully formed character in his own right, and is as realistic as she is. A sequel, Bad Girls Don't Die: From Bad to Cursed, which finds Alexis investigating a new supernatural mystery, is set to be released in June 2011.

Read-alike suggestions:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor and Jim DiBartolo

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Leviathan

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
published by Simon Pulse, 2009
448 pages
approximate age level: 12+

Alek is an orphaned prince who is on the run and hiding from powers that want him dead. Deryn is also hiding, pretending to be a boy in order to fulfill her dream of joining the Royal Air Navy. In any other time, Alek's and Deryn's paths would never cross, but something terrible is happening in Europe that will change everyone's lives - World War I has just begun. Yet, this isn't the same war you've read about in the history books, as it's not only a war between countries, but one between different branches of science – fabricated beasts vs. steam-powered machines, Darwinists vs. Clankers. When thrown together under dire circumstances, natural enemies Deryn, a Darwinist, and Alek, a Clanker, must put aside their differences and work together, or risk losing everything.

Leviathan is an alternate-history steampunk adventure that pits fantastical, genetically created, living beast-machines against technologically advanced, steam-powered metal mechanisms. While some of these creations may be hard for readers to imagine, plenty of detailed illustrations pepper the story, helping to both explicate scenes and add some visual interest. Deryn and Alek are strong, well-rounded characters who grow and change throughout the book and their dual narratives provide a draw for both male and female readers. An interesting afterward by the author connects Leviathan to the real life events during WWI. Westerfeld spins a riveting, action-filled tale, but the rather abrupt ending may leave readers unsatisfied and anxious to continue the story. Luckily, sequel Behemoth is already available.

Read-alike suggestions:

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Printz Award winner)

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith

Anansi Boys

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
published by HarperTouch, 2005
416 pages
approximate age level: 14+
Alex Award recipient

Charlie Nancy is a rather banal young man. He has a mundane job, a passionless relationship with his fiance, and has no desire or ambition to improve his circumstances. Then his crazy, flamboyant father suddenly dies, with his hands on a buxom blonde while singing karaoke, and Charlie discovers his life isn't quite what he thought. First, his father was not just a strange eccentric, but was Anansi, the African trickster god. Second, he has a brother, Spider, who is everything Charlie is not – outgoing, lucky, charismatic, and in possession of god-like powers. When Spider decides to meet Charlie, and, unasked, takes over the spare room in his apartment, as well as a few other things, Charlie finds that his uninteresting life is over and he must come to terms with everything wild and mysterious he has been trying so hard to avoid, or face devastating consequences.

Companion novel to American Gods, Anansi Boys is a fun and original adventure that never takes itself too seriously. In this tall tale that expertly weaves African folklore into a modern plot, Gaiman is at the top of his game creating likeable, well-rounded characters, crazy scenes, and propelling the story forward with a fast moving, page-turning plot. This is an adult novel, but doesn't contain any content that should dissuade you from recommending it to teens. Gaiman is a big name in both adult and YA/children's lit (known by many as the "rockstar writer") and I think it would be easy to get teens interested in his works if they aren't already. Anansi Boys is also a recipient of the 2006 Alex Award.

Read-alike suggestions:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Alex Award recipient)

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

Sandman graphic novel series by Neil Gaiman

The Gates by John Connelly

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Printz Award winner)