The Girl Who Played with Fire

Labeled as a murderous satanist, Lisbeth Salander is anything but that. At the age of 12, Salander was locked up in a mental facility for being a schizophrenic. Upon her release, she was assigned a guardian for being incapable. But who is the Lisbeth that society sees? In reality, she is the infamous hacker with a photographic memory. But how did society label her the complete opposite? Now, 13 years later, Lisbeth is fighting with society again over her dark past. With a few other friends, Lisbeth will finally reveal what locked her up so many years ago. With a twist and catch at every corner, The Girl Who Played with Fire, the last of the trilogy by Steig Larsson, will leave your head whirling.

-Belinda Lei

Slam

Sam is just an ordinary sixteen-year-old who has a passion for skating (skateboarding) and admires Tony Hawk. One day, he's half-forced to attend a party with his Mom. There, he meets Alicia and his life changes. How will Sam live his way through the twists and turns? What will he do with Roof? Slam is a great book to read for fun! Enjoy.

-Jenny

Have you ever wondered what goes on in teenage boy minds? Dive into the twisted yet normal world of Sam, a teenage boy who loves his skateboard. His life is going the right direction. His mother isn't a jerk anymore, he's met Alicia, everything is fine. Until an accident occurs. Will this change his life? Read and find out!

-Michelle

I highly recommend Slam by Nick Hornby to young readers because of the never-ending wittiness in every page. THe narration, done by a 16-year-old boy, really kept the story interesting. There was not one time where I wanted to put the book down. Read this book!

-Alicia

This witty novel by Nick Hornby takes readers through the humorous thoughts of Sam, a skater (as in skateboarding), who runs through life without looking back. Faced with decisions that will decide his already-witnessed future, Sam must choose between the two most important things in his life. WIth the right balance of humorous and serious situations, Slam will take any reader for a great ride.

-Lauren

The Hunger Games

The main character in The Hunger Games is Katniss Everdeen. She is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in District 12. Every year, there is a traditional Hunger Games. Two children, one boy and one girl, from the twelve districts ruled by the capital, are chosen to participate. The competition is not about running or dancing, the ones we usually think of, but is about survival. The contestants have to kill each other in the arena, and whoever survives the longest is the winner. Will Katniss live through the game and see her beloved family again? And how will she deal with the boy who has a crush on her? Read The Hunger Games to find out.

-Camille

What kind of destiny awaits Katniss? What difficult choices is she going to make? The Hunger Games will tell you...

-Orange

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is just one of many books that have joined the recent wave of dystopian novels; however, it is fresh and interesting anyway. Katniss Everdeen battles with twenty-three other teenagers in a game of life and death. This is definitely an action-packed book and a suspenseful page-turner; it's not wonder this is being turned into a movie! For anyone that enjoys dystopian novels such as Divergent and hasn't read it already, I wholeheartedly recommend The Hunger Games, you won't be disappointed!

-Kristen

Like The Hunger Games? Try the Sequel, Catching Fire

The sequel to The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, adds another amazing chapter to the lives of Katniss and Peeta. As they travel through their victors tour, they receive the news that they once again have to enter the hunger games arena. This exciting book will keep you on the edge of your seat, give you a direct look into the games from a victor herself. I highly recommend this book.

-Katie

The Cobra Event

A girl gets out of bed, down with a cold. She goes to school with little out of the ordinary. A few hours later and she is knotted on the ground, seizing, self-cannibalizing. A frightening account. She dies. Then others die in the same way. Discover what is threatening the world in The Cobra Event.

If you like this book, you might also like Three, by Ted Dekker.

Stargirl

Stargirl is about a teenager who leaves homeschooling for her sophomore year of high school. Leo is a junior at Mica High and is an ordinary kid amongst all boring kids in Mica, Arizona. Little did he or anyone else know, that this tall, bright-eyed girl was going to shake up Mica High! And that love was going to hit Leo and there was no turning back.

-Juliana

Les Miserables

Victor Hugo's Les Miserables is the powerful thought-provoking story of the peasant Jean Valjean. Valjean struggles to redeem his past after being unjustly imprisoned. Les Miserables sweeps us into the dark world of Paris after the rule of Napoleon I, a world filled with poverty, ignorance, and suffering. It illuminates the struggle for a better France.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in political and social struggles. Be prepared to commit lots of time to this book. This is not a light read.

-Madi Hartman

Brain Jack

Brain Jack is about a super smart teen named Sam. He really knows his way around the computer and cyber world, and one day he hacks into Telecomerica and buys himself the new neuro-headsets. These headsets allow people to use the computer without a keyboard and mouse. These neuro-headsets are all great until people start acting strangely. Is it possible that if people can hack into computers with the neuro-headsets that they can hack into other people's minds that are connected too? This book is a thrilling "mindblower" that will make you want to read it again and again. If you like movies like IRobot and Eagle Eye you will love this book.

-Chiara

The House of the Scorpion

The House of the Scorpion is about the Alacran family. The story takes place somewhere in the future, a time when drug lords dominate. One drug lord in particular, El Patron, rules the country Opium, a piece of land located between the United States and Mexico. El Patron decides to make a clone of his own. Matt, the clone, is often ignored in the house. Only El Patron shows love and appreciation for everything Matt does.

Everything in the Alacran estate seems normal until Matt gradually finds out El Patron's true intentions...

Jane Eyre

Orphan Jane Eyre is plain, quiet, and reserved on the surface. But the book entitled with her name, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, takes the characterization of Jane and her quest for happiness beyond the surface. She faces hardships at every stage of life: her aunt and benefactress is verbally abusive, her only friend at school dies in her arms, and once she becomes a governess the man she loves toys with her affections before showing his true feelings. Written from Jane's perspective in the formal style of 19th century England, Jane Eyre is a highly entertaining read which I would recommend for both lovers and haters of the classics.

-Natalie

The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, has quickly become one of my favorite books. The story about Clare and Henry and their difficult and yet so sweet relationship is one that you just can't stop reading. Why is their relationship so difficult? Because Henry has a condition where he randomly disappears and travels to another time and place. It is also a unique story because it is told from Clare and Henry's alternate perspectives. This is a great book for anyone who wants to read something unlike anything they've ever read before.

-Ashlynn Ramos

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, is about the lives of Henry DeTamble, a time traveler, and his wife Clare Abshire. Audrey Niffeneger follows the life course of Clare and uses Clare and Henry's two different perspectives to portray to the readers their struggles with their unusual life patterns and their emotional developments. The author's descriptive writing style gives the readers an opportunity to experience the life of a time traveler, and makes the readers question the presence of fate in life and the authenticity of reality.

-Joy

The Time Traveler's Wife is a wonderful romantic novel. It is about a man and a woman that struggle through their timeless love. The writing style is the two perspectives of Henry and Clare. They meet each other at different ages which lets you see the different thoughts that they have throughout the book. It's a long read, but extremely worth it! Read it!

-Kaitlynn

Lock and Key

Lock and Key, by Sarah Dessen, is a very thought-provoking book. It made me think about the values of family, the interconnections between people, and how I've changed throughout time.

The main character, Ruby, was living by herself because her mom, an alcohol addict, abandoned her. After she was discovered by her landlords, she was sent to live with her long lost sister, Cora. But Ruby didn't want to stay; she wanted her old life back.

The author engages the reader by describing little details and presenting the story right in front of the readers' eyes. So when the readers are reading the book, they will feel like they are living in the book with the characters.

-Joy Lin

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, is an extremely gripping piece of work that raises awareness about domestic violence towards women. A journalist accused of libel, Mikael Blomkvist, figures out the mystery about Harriet Vanger, who disappeared forty years ago. This book is definitely an amazing page-turner, but the grotesque image Larsson describes is unforgettable.

-Kelly Jung