Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

James Patterson is one of my favorite authors, so I just HAD to read this book!  Unlike my favorite fantasy series of his about the genetically modified "bird kids" (Maximum Ride), this is a realistic fiction/mystery and it's a good one!!  Tandy has been awakened by the police storming into her fancy apartment building in the middle of the night to investigate a murder.  Turns out it was HER parents that were murdered inside their apartment with no evidence of an outside intruder. Tandy sets out to discover who the murderer is...even if it turns out to be her.  I found this to be a page turner.  It was like that show on TV, Law and Order.  Every time I thought I had it figured out...the clues went a different way, or the suspect had an alibi.  I was surprised by the turn of events at the end.  The authors did leave some questions at the end of the books so I am pretty sure we will see Tandy in another adventure. 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

  Most heroines of YA literature are strong and brave and confident.  Elisa is none of those things.  She is, by her own admission, fat and nothing very special, a "failure of a princess".  Elisa is "chosen by God" for a great destiny and this story is about her finding what that destiny is.  It is a great story and I just couldn't put it down.  This is a book of "high fantasy" with a completely invented world, much like last year's Golden Sower, Graceling. The descriptions of the landscape of Elisa's different homes throughout the story are wonderful.  I am hoping to add the sequel to the library soon.

Unwholly by Neil Shusterman

  I was so excited when I saw this book at the book fair.  Neil Shusterman did not write Unwind intending for it to be a series, but it looks like it will now be a trilogy!!  Cal lives in a world where parents and guardians can choose to have their children "unwound."  Unwinding is when all of your parts are given to others so in a way you are still living....just not as a "whole" person.  This second book explains more about why their world has come to see this as OK.  At the end of this book the action really picks up and I couldn't put it down till I finished.  I would suggest you read the Unwind first or it may be a bit confusing.  I can't wait till book #3 comes out!!