This summer I took on the Lincoln Challenge to read 22 books by June 2013. So far I am doing great progress and the books are amazing. It is going to be hard to decide on a single one.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.When
Anna's romance-novelist father sends her to an elite American boarding
school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she reluctantly
goes, and meets an amazing boy who becomes her best friend, in spite of
the fact that they both want something more. The story was a bit slow at first but as you get to know the characters- Anna and Etienne St. Clair- you come to like them and love to see their transformation.
Bruiser by Neil Shusterman, I listened to the audio version and it was amazing.Inexplicable
events start to occur when 16-year-old twins Tennyson and Bronte
befriend a troubled and misunderstood outcast, aptly nicknamed Bruiser,
and his little brother, Cody. I listened to the audio version and it was so intriguing to figure what would happen, in a way it was like seeing a car accident in slow motion at times.
Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. In a polygamous cult in the desert, Kyra, not yet 14, sees being chosen to be the seventh wife of her uncle as just punishment for having read books and kissed a boy, in violation of Prophet Childs' teachings, and is torn between facing her fate and running away from all that she knows and loves. This is a very intensive book!
Dark Song by Gail Giles.After her father loses his job and she finds out that her parents have lied to her, 15-year-old Ames feels betrayed enough to become involved with a criminal who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Couldn't put the book down, beautifully written.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett.Limited and persecuted by racial divides in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, three women, including an African-American maid, her sassy and chronically unemployed friend, and a recently graduated white woman, team up for a clandestine project. I finally read the book after hearing so much about the movie (haven't seeing the movie). I felt like I had a chance to meet these women, feel their fear and happiness, their struggles and achievements. 
Impulse by Ellen Hopkins.Three teens who meet at Reno, Nevada's Aspen Springs mental hospital after each has attempted suicide connect with each other in a way they never have with their parents or anyone else in their lives. I loved this novel in verse. Each character gives you a personal insight on their lives, fears, dreams, and hopes. They evolve and find hope within each other.
Impossible by Nancy Werlin.When 17-year-old Lucy discovers her family is under an ancient curse by an evil Elfin Knight, she realizes to break the curse she must perform three impossible tasks before her daughter is born in order to save them both. I loved the story, predictable at moments and utterly optimistic but the written pulls the reader into the story until you find yourself connected to Lucy's curse.
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. After being interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, California, 17-year-old Marcus, released into what is now a police state, decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right. I am currently listening to the audio version and it is amazing! Teens are going to love it, the mix of tech savvy and rebellion is pretty cool.
Matched by Ally Condie.Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her, so when Xander appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate--until Ky Markham's face appears for an instant before the screen fades to black. I liked the book and think it could make a great book club choice. Love to know what teens thought about this futuristic world with no choices.
Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey. In 1888, 12-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real-life monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy a pod of Anthropophagi. I listened to the audio and really liked the story. I am not a big sci-fi fan but the whole "monster hunting" was just intriguing enough to want to know more.
North of Beautiful by Kiersten White.Terra, a sensitive, artistic high school senior born with a facial port-wine stain, struggles with issues of inner and outer beauty with the help of her Goth classmate Jacob. I loved the story. One of my favorites.
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. When a dark prophecy begins to come true, 16-year-old Evie of the International Paranormal Containment Agency must not only try to stop it, she must also uncover its connection to herself and the alluring shapeshifter, Lend. Predictable. 
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death. I listened to the audio version and couldn't stop until I found the 13 reasons.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan. Two teens sharing the same name, one straight- one gay meet, accidentally and their lives become intertwined when one starts to date a friend and producing a high school play about his life. The audio is hilarious at points.
