Legend - by Marie Lu

June is rich, her brother is a powerful and important soldier in the Republic's army, and her skills are remarkable.  Day is dirt-poor, on the run from the law, apparently homeless, but his skills equal June's. What brings these two teenage characters together is the stuff of legends, and the plot of this book, so I won't give it away.  I can tell you that the story takes place in an imagined future in the American west, that there is a good assortment of likable and believable characters, and that the action, including some rough fight scenes, is fantastic.

This is probably my favorite of this type of books: The teen dystopian/futuristic America drama/adventure series with a strong but flawed heroine/hero.  With Marie Lu's Legend, you've got the real deal.  June and Day are both fascinating characters, and to see what happens when their worlds spin together makes for an unforgettable story.

There are many middle grade/teen series out there, but this one has just as much action and suspense as the others, but none of the graphic love scenes.  It's a winner, trust me.  Keep your eye on Marie Lu!

The Hunt - by Andrew Fukuda

This is an absolutely original and stunning book!  There are vampires, but not the Twilight variety.  There is a futuristic America, but not like The Hunger Games or Divergent.  Best of all, there is amazing writing, a very tight plot, and as much suspense as I can handle. For TEENS, this is a new dystopian thriller to check out immediately.

Meet Gene: He is a human. The only problem is that he lives in a land of vampires.  They seem normal, but for their pale skin, extreme strength, razor-sharp canine teeth, lack of sweat or body odor, and the fact that they all eat raw meat and don't drink water.  All of his life, Gene's father has taught him the tricks for survival:  Whatever you do, don't draw attention to yourself!  Don't sweat, don't laugh, and don't fall in love.  It's hard enough to keep pushing away the beautiful girl who keeps catching his eye at school, but when he is chosen to participate in the historic Heper Hunt and taken away to a training institute, keeping his true identity secret becomes nearly impossible.  Just wait until you find out what the hunt is all about...

This book is fast-paced, brilliantly imagined and detailed, and very enjoyable.  If you like non-magicsci-fi/fantasty/alternate-future series, this is one of the best.

Divergent - by Veronica Roth

Don't compare this to The Hunger Games, first of all. This genre is bursting with good futuristic altered-American-reality books, and this one is fantastic.  Yes, it is a movie, but of course the book should be read first!

Divergent focuses on Tris, a girl who must choose, as everyone her age must, which of the four "factions" in their society they would like to join. It is most common to stay in your family's own faction, but switching is not unheard of. When Tris finds out during her screening test that she actually has the skill or inclination for three different factions, she learns that she is actually "divergent," a label which could get her killed!  She decides to leaver her straight-laced Abnegation faction for the thrill-seeking Dauntless, and through many hard times, she learns that she is, though small, a natural fighter.

Though Tris is enjoying her new freedom and faction, she soon learns that there is a plot afoot that could destroy everything, and it is up to her and a few trusted friends to save the day.  As family, friend, and faction are shaken, shocked, and turned against one another, Tris realizes that nothing is as it seems after all.  The adventures of Tris are incredible, exhilarating, and heart-wrenching, and you will not be able to put this book (or its two sequels) down!

This is really a TEEN book, because of the violence, love scenes, and more mature content.  That said, the fifth graders who have read it seem to have no problem with those parts...  Perhaps we parents and teachers worry too much?  Or perhaps children today have been exposed to more than is good for their young minds and are not surprised by things that should shock them.  I can't say, but I would recommend young (elementary-age) kiddos to get their parents' approval before reading this one.

Shiver - by Maggie Stiefvater

A werewolf and a teen girl fall in love, where have we heard this story before?  I picked this up because I wanted to see what teens are reading these days, and this one had some great reviews.  It ended up being a more fun read than I expected, with interesting characters and a slightly twisty, catchy plot. 

This is the story of Grace, a wolf-obsessed high school girl in northern Minnesota who soon discovers that there is more to the wolves in the woods behind her house than anyone guessed. That's right -  they're werewolves!  When she and one of the wolves fall for one another, the lyrical romance of two young lovers with major obstacles to their romance takes over, and it's just as sweet a story as any werewolf romance could hope to be. 

Shiver is definitely a teen book, due to the emotional and (some) physical themes and situations.  I would not recommend it to my fourth graders, but middle school girls and maybe boys will probably enjoy it.  Lovers of wolves, poetry, and old trucks will get a kick out of this new series.

Brixton Brothers # 1: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity - by Mac Barnett

Steve wanted to be a detective more than ANYTHING.  At least he did until this seventh grader was accused of treason against the United States, and became the subject of a major manhunt by both ultra-secret highly-trained killer librarians and the bad guys, who were not nearly as scary as the good guys.  As Steve ran for his life, learned more about quilting than any teen boy would ever want to know, and tried to solve the country's greatest criminal mystery, he began to think that the detective's life isn't so great after all.  He'll either solve the mystery himself or get himself and his dopey best friend sent to prison forever.

This a pretty good mystery, and a goofy but fast-paced thriller.  It's kind of like the old Hardy Boys books, but much more silly.  The pictures are great, and the characters are interesting, in fact I enjoyed this much more than I had expected to.  My copy has a much uglier cover, and I'm glad the publisher made a change so quickly.  If you like mysteries and detective stories, you'll probably get a kick out of this series, and have a few laughs as well.