Waiting by Carol
Lynch Williams. Simon & Schuster Books, 2012. Grades 9 & up. Almost a year after the death of her older brother, Zach, London's loss
and guilt are just as painful. Her mother's refuses to talk to her and her father's inability to connect with her only
intensifies the emptiness of their home. She is caught between the guilt for her brother and the role she played and her need to feel alive. When a new handsome boy and his family move into town London starts to awake and fight to reveal what truly happened. London will have to choose between her old boyfriend , Taylor, a painful reminder of her brother and what they used to have and Jesse the alluring stranger who doesn't know of her past. While religion has played a role in their lives, London's redemption is her own. I love Williams's free verse style, the short passages that moves you to find out why or what happened to this family, the tension and grief are palpable. Check it out at our library. 
Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan. Random House Books, 2012. Grades 9 & Up.
This is the first book on a new series and if you liked Holly Black's White Cats or Lish McBride's Hold Me Closer, Necromancer you will enjoy Brennan's Lynburn Legacy. In the English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale the supernatural and magical worlds have coexisted for centuries with the Lynburn family protecting the town. Kami has grown sheltered from this knowledge even though she has an unsual ability. She has been able to talk with a boy in her head all of her life. Kami and Jared have shared each others secrets, felt their pain and their happiness. When the Lynburn family returns to town strange ritualistic deaths start to happen. Kami will discover that Jared is not imaginary but quite real and part of the dangerous Lynburn family. They would have to trust of each to discover the secrets the Lynburn's andtheir little town are hiding including a murderer, sorcerers, and magic powers. This is a fast pace read, the mix of supernatural abilities and everyday life is achieved through characters' voices and the believable settings. Check it out at our library.
