Unwind, by Neal Shusterman, is a book you'll LOVE if you enjoy sci-fi and unsettling subjects. Set in the future during a 2nd civil war, Connor, Risa and Lev struggle to keep themselves alive and away from being "unwound," or being taken apart little by little and donating their organs. Each has no need to exist in society according to the authorities, therefore being unwound is the best decision. This book is creepy, thought-provoking, and will keep you captivated until the very end.
Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, ties together the stories of Julia, a middle-aged American living in France in 2002, and Sarah, a ten-year-old Jewish girl from Paris who lived through the Holocaust. This book gives a fresh perspective on France's role in the Holocaust and people's desire to forget the past. Julia's story kept me interested with family drama, and Sarah's story helped me understand what kind of trauma a Jewish child had to experience in the 1940s. I recommend this book for anyone who likes historical fiction but wants to also read a book that has a modern twist in its story line.
In the novel These Things Hidden, a young girl named Claire was always the perfect daughter. She got straight A's, was beautiful, popular, and was supposed to go to Stanford. However, after becoming pregnant her life seems to go off the deep end, and she ends up in jail for an unimaginable crime. Throughout the story, readers help to uncover the mystery of Claire's past, and they journey with her as she tries to reestablish herself and get back her old, perfect life. It's easier said than done, as she soon discovers her life may never be the same.
Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz, is the first book in the series of the life of Alex Rider. Alex is a teenage boy raised by his uncle, but suddenly his life is ruined when his uncle dies in a car accident. Alex realizes though, that that wasn't the case. His uncle was murdered, but for what? Alex was then thrown into the world of M16, he must become a spy to learn for what and why his uncle was killed, all while keeping himself alive.
The book Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen, is about a young teenager trying to figure out why her older sister ran away. She leaves behind a journal and says she will see her in her dreams. Caitlin waits to hear from Cass and one day she gets a phone call from Cass. This book is easy to relate to and mysterious at times.
The Book Thief is a story that takes place during Nazi Germany. The main character is Liesel, a young girl who is fostered by a family. The story is told from the perspective of death, which makes the novel very unique and interesting. The story begins with Liesel learning how to read and moves on to her stealing books from various places. This hobby of hers not only entertains her, but also helps save a Jew. The book is mysterious, depressing and interesting and I strongly recommend it to everyone.
James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's is a mix of reality and fantasy. It's a love story about a full-grown woman whose imaginary friend when she was little just suddenly appeared in reality. It's a story about love, motherhood and letting go. I loved this book, but it is not a typical James Patterson book. His style of writing is present but the theme is unusual.
A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornby, is a very different kind of book. It tells the story in the point of view of four different people, who coincidentally meet one New Year's Eve while attempting to commit suicide. The four of them become friends after sharing their reasons for suicide.
I read The Boy in Striped Pajamas recently. It was written in the perspective of a nine-year-old boy, Bruno. The story takes place during World War II and Bruno's dad is a German officer in charge of the Jewish concentration camp. However, Bruno has no idea about what is going on and starts to talk to a Jewish boy by the gate every day. They share their stories, until one day, Bruno decides to crawl under the gate to see what his friend's "home" is like...
This book is about a girl who commits suicide and creates these tapes for people to listen to. These tapes were created for 13 specific people who have impacted her life for better or for worse. The book is written as if you were talking to your friend. It is a great story that will keep you interested throughout the book. It is an easy, leisure read. I definitely recommend it.
Revolution is a novel about the life of a girl, Andi, who's suffering the result of her brother's death. She's on medication and she has very few friends. Her successful father left her and her mother in their run-down mansion. As her mother loses her mind, so does she. Andi, a senior in high school, doesn't plan on writing her thesis, but her father's return changes that as she goes to Paris for winter break. In Paris, her life changes as she finds a diary about another girl's hardships during the French Revolution. I loved this book and I loved how Andi's romance and family life evolved.
After auditioning for and watching the school's winter comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, I was determined to read the script. Chalk full of British humor, this play is hilarious. It is perfect if you are trying to find a suitable, short and witty story with its complex characters, crazy plot and witty banter between people. 
This is a sequel of Ender's Game, written in the perspective of another character in the book - Bean. Although often sequels are not as good as the first book, this book only adds to the previous book. While talking about the same plot, the book is never repetitive and provides the readers with completely new insights to the plot. I highly recommend this book, especially if you've read Ender's Game.