The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

Aliens have arrived.  This book starts AFTER the Aliens already parked their mothership above Earth.  The first wave killed about 1/2 million people with an electronic magnetic pulse.  The 2nd wave had coastal cities and their population falling into the seas.  The 3rd wave was a virus spread by birds that killed almost everyone.  Cassie, the main character, survives when the aliens, hiding in plain site as humans, begin killing off the remainders of humanity.  This is the story of Cassie and her plan to reunite with her brother.  It is exciting and you are never sure who to trust...who IS the alien?  Who SHOULD you be afraid of?  While this book is told in the first person, it changes from character to character.  Unlike other books who label the chapter with who is talking, this one doesn't.  You have to pay close attention to what is happening to each character so you can figure out who is "talking" during the different chapters.  I enjoyed this book and KNOW that more will be coming in this series.  The movie rights have already been sold so I think it will be a big hit like the Hunger Games.  So make sure you READ it before the movie comes out.

Confessions: The Private School Murders by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Tandy Angel is back.  We first met Tandy when her and her brothers were accused of murdering her parents in Confessions of a Murder Suspect.  She has returned to solve a slew of other mysteries in this novel.  I love the character of Tandy.  In the last book, because her parents kept her on a cocktail of drugs, she didn't show much emotion.  Now that she is off the medication, Tandy is trying to figure out how to handle all these new emotions as well as help her brother from being convicted of his girlfriend's murder, figure out who is murdering girls that go to private schools in NYC AND find the boy she was in love with before her parents stole her memories of him.  SO much is going on in this book, but it is fantastic.  I can't wait to read more of Tandy's adventures in the future, as I am sure there will be more.

The Fallout by S.A. Bodeen

This is the much awaited sequel to S.A. Bodeen's 2011-2012 Golden Sower Nominee, The Compound.  If you haven't read The Compound, you probably should before reading The Fallout or you may be just a little confused.  I loved the first book but really wanted to know more about what happened next to this family and the author answers in The Fallout in a surprising and exciting way.  I couldn't put this book down.  I hate to give you too many details because I don't want to spoil anything from either story.

House of Hades by Rick Riordan

Another exciting adventure with the demigods.  This one starts off right where Mark of Athena left off.  Percy and Annabeth have fallen in to the underworld and their friends are trying to save them and help them shut the doors of death.  I just devour these books.  They are always so exciting with both monsters we've met in previous books as well as new ones.  I was a little disappointed because I thought this was the last one in this series and we would wrap up the story of whether or not the kids defeat Gaia who is "waking up" and threatening to take over the world, but this is the PENULTIMATE or next to last in the series.  Good news is that we have the next one to look forward to, bad news is I'm not sure when that will be released.

See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles

This book made me cry.  Not the wimpy, "sniff, sniff that was sad" cry but the "have to get off the sofa and get tissues because your face is a mess" cry.  I loved it.  This is the story of Fern and her family.  They are in the restaurant business and everything their family does revolves around this restaurant.  I got a kick out of her father because he is always doing these crazy, embarrassing things to promote the restaurant.  Tragedy strikes hard in this novel (see the above statement on crying).  But the author does a fantastic job of making you feel like everything is going to be ok at the end.  Now you have to read it to see what the tragedy is, don't you!!

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

What an interesting concept for a book.  This takes place in 1996, when less than 1/2 of all American high school students had EVER used the internet.  Emma's father gives her a computer and her best friend Josh gives her a CD-ROM (those shiny discs we used to have to put into the computer to load stuff) to download America online.  This is where Emma discovers herself and her friends on Facebook.  WHAT?? Facebook was not invented till 2004.  What Emma realizes is that she is seeing her life 15 years in the future.  Does she like what she sees? Will she try to change what she sees?  I guess you are going to have to read the book!

Escape From Memory by Margaret Peterson Haddix

While experimenting with hypnotism at a sleepover, Kira has a memory of a harrowing escape from a war-torn country with her mother, and speaking a language she does not know.  Kira's mother is very evasive when she asks about this memory.  THEN, mom disappears and Kira goes with an unknown woman with the hopes of rescuing her mom and getting some answers to explain this hidden memory and her mom's questionable behavior.  This book had a lot of action in it also.  It brought up the questions of how important are our memories, what role do they play in who we are? 

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Oh, My what a good book you are!  This reminded me of a fractured little red riding hood.  Scarlett and Rosie March lost their grandmother to a wolf attack...a werewolf (or fenris as they say in the book).  Now they see it as their mission to go after and hunt all fenris' down before they can lure away and kill anyone else.  But Rosie is not as passionate about hunting as her sister and wonders what other things life has to offer.  Great story with action as well as a romance that develops!