At Geek High, being extraordinary is ordinary.

For Miranda Bloom, junior year hasn't quite started off on the right foot. Her boyfriend, Dex McConnell, is off at a Maine boarding school, and her best friends seem too preoccupied to care.

When she meets new girl Nora Lee, Miranda thinks she's finally found a friend who really understands her. That is, until Nora begins to imitate everything Miranda does, from her outfits to her love of writing. And when this begins to effect her relationships, Miranda realizes she needs to end their toxic friendship - and fast.

Miranda, Charlie, and Finn are back and better than ever in this latest addition to the GEEK HIGH series. Piper Banks once again brings readers a story about a geeky girl working through changing friendships and dealing with revenge. The author's multi-dimensional characters play off of one another with a sense of realism that hits close to home for any high schooler.

REVENGE OF THE GEEK is the perfect read for the nerd in all of us!

Reviewed by: Monica Sheffo

Gold Star Award Winner!

Benny made it back from the Rot & Ruin only to start training with his brother, Tom, to leave again. After seeing the airplane fly over, Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Tom have been anxious to find out where it was going. Could there be civilization beyond the Rot & Ruin?

Every day, Tom trains Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong. He prepares them to fight the Zoms they are sure to encounter on their long trek across the dangerous country.

Everyone has different feelings about leaving home. Benny isn't sure he wants to leave FOREVER, but is willing to in order to be with Nix. Nix, who has nothing left, is desperate to leave behind all the bad memories. Lilah just wants to feel freedom and live outside the fences again. Tom decides he has to leave, since his countless pleas to the town leader's to build up defenses have fallen on deaf ears. Chong, without the permission of his parents, will be staying behind.

Tom plans an overnight trip to help the kids practice living beyond the fences. Chong is given permission to accompany his friends for this short adventure, which gives him more time to spend with Lilah.

The overnight outing doesn't go as planned though, and the kids are separated from each other and Tom. Evidence points to the possibility that Gameland is up and running again and, even worse, could Charlie Pink Eye still be alive?

DUST & DECAY is filled with danger and excitement, love and hatred. It keeps the reader engaged from the first page to the last. The horrors the characters live through are heartbreaking. This is a zombie book that will bring you to tears.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

Growing up on a Virginia plantation in the mid-1800s, slavery has been part of Emma Simpson's entire life. Now, she and her mother are working tirelessly to keep the place running in the absence of her father, who is somewhere to the south fighting the Yankees.

Emma hears constant reports describing the ignorant Yankees and their disapproval of holding the black people against their will. The slaves she's known on her father's plantation seem happy enough. She watches the women gladly helping her mother in the garden and in the main house. Even the men who work in the fields and drive the wagons appear content, and she knows none of them have been mistreated like some she's heard about.

Sporadic letters from Emma's father promise the South will win the war quickly, but as time passes more of their neighbors and friends are sending men off to fight. When Christmas of 1863 passes without a celebration, Emma realizes hopes of a short war might be wishful thinking. Aunt Caroline, Cousin Rachel, and Baby Elizabeth stay on into the New Year. Their company is welcome, especially when Emma's mother becomes ill.

Emma's diary over the next year describes the rapid and devastating changes as the war drags on. Although their slaves remain loyal, keeping the plantation running becomes more and more difficult, especially as her mother's health deteriorates. Word arrives almost daily of local men and boys losing their lives on the battlefield as the Yankees come closer every day.

Emma writes of her mother's death and sickness that threatens neighbors and friends. She describes enemy troops ransacking plantation homes, destroying prized possessions and taking food and livestock with no regard for the remaining women and children. Emma tries to remain hopeful despite the constant worry that her father and the young man she loves might not return alive.

Author Barry Denenberg gives readers a view of the Civil War through the eyes of a young girl from the South. Whatever one believes about the intent and purpose behind this historical time, Denenberg shows the toll it took on the lives of those who struggled to hold on while the war raged around them.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Anna is the young daughter of a British warrior governor just growing into her extraordinary powers when a terrible event changed her life forever. With her father dead and her mother under the control of a nefarious ruler, this would-be peaceful Wiccan transformed into a scorned woman, desperate for revenge.

At her mother's urging, Anna flees to Ireland, where she would take a new name, Morgan le Fay. Extreme misfortune follows her, as she becomes a prisoner of war, sold into slavery to an elderly wise woman. As Morgan learned the craft, she managed to escape slavery for refuge in a Christian colony.

But can Morgan master her powers and finally get her revenge?

Alex Epstein gives readers a whole new perspective on one of medieval history's most infamous women. By exploring Morgan le Fay's mysterious childhood years, readers' previous conceptions will be easily swayed. History buffs and paranormal/fantasy fans alike will all find a hidden treasure in THE CIRCLE CAST.

Reviewed by: Monica Sheffo

In light of the truth behind their family history, twins Sunny and Rayne are whisked away from the fae side of the family. They're relocated to the Swiss Alps to a vampire training facility, Riverdale Academy.

Rayne, believing she's the only vampire slayer, receives a rude awakening. She has a run-in with the Alpha slayers - the school's slayers. They're hoping to become recruited into Night School. Rayne has a particularly hard time fitting in, as she's both a vampire and a slayer. Without the synthetic blood, she grows weaker and weaker.

Sunny goes from crying her eyes out because she can't communicate with her soul mate, Magnus, to behaving erratically. Rayne knows that something's going on with her twin. She's determined to save Sunny from becoming a fairy princess instead of the regular life that she longs to live.

Rayne narrates NIGHT SCHOOL, the 5th book in the BLOOD COVEN VAMPIRE series, complete with snarky dialogue, pop culture references, romance, sisterly drama and protection, action, danger, and tons of fun.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Eddie Reeves is devastated when her photographer father commits suicide. She is consumed by the question of "why?" He left a note, but there were no answers. She meets Culler Evans, her father's one and only student, and he is consumed by the same questions she is.

Culler is mysterious, and seems to know more about her father than she does. Culler shows Eddie his discovery, at the place where her father committed suicide, and from there, they go on a search to find answers.

FALL FOR ANYTHING actually had a pretty slow start, unlike Summers' other novels. I was a little disappointed, because it wasn't like her other ones. It was still good, though. I felt a genuine concern for Eddie's character, because of her hurt and depression from her father's suicide. I was worried about her, and I don't often feel that kind of connection with characters.

Overall, this was a fairly good story, with a huge twist at the end which I definitely didn't see coming. If you enjoyed Ms. Summers' other novels, check this one out, too!

Reviewed by: Ashley B

About three years ago, Mia and Adam went their separate ways - Mia off to Julliard and Adam off to live the life of a rock star.

Adam is about to start a European tour with Shooting Star. Since heading off on his own, he has attempted to push aside the emotions he still feels for Mia. Doing so has created a whole new set of problems. Adam is becoming cut off from his fellow band members, and the resulting pressure is becoming more than he can take. His days are filled with annoying interviews, meetings, and rehearsals that he only manages to get through with the help of prescription drugs and cigarettes. His equally famous girlfriend constantly berates him about living with a ghost from his past.

In New York City for a brief interview before leaving for the tour, Adam has an angry outburst due to questions from a nosy interviewer. Knowing he won't be popular, he takes off, avoiding his flight and, hopefully, the anger of his manager. His thoughts are filled with Mia, and when he stumbles across her name on the marquee for a Youth Concert series, he asks if any tickets remain. Fate intervenes and he finds himself sitting in the concert hall watching her perform.

After the concert he plans to slink back to his hotel and attempt to make up for his earlier bad behavior by contacting his manager. But on his way out of the concert hall, Adam is approached by an usher, asking him to follow him to Mia's dressing room.

What follows is a twenty-four-hour period of emotional ups and downs as both Adam and Mia confront the demons surrounding their complicated relationship. Adam relives the terrible months of watching Mia struggle to recover from the accident that killed her parents and her little brother. He knows he is the reason why Mia left. He had prayed for her recovery and promised he would let her go if that was what she wanted. For three lonely years, he has lived with the fact that that must have been her desire.

Can Adam and Mia forgive each other and themselves before each must leave to fulfill separate responsibilities on opposite sides of the world?

Author Gayle Forman takes readers back into the lives of Mia and Adam in her sequel to IF I STAY. With the focus more on Adam and his heartbreak both during and after Mia's family tragedy, Forman broadens the heartbreaking story in an emotional yet realistic direction. She explores the impact of death and separation as two people strive to overcome pain and connect with futures that satisfy them both.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

NOTE: You need to read the first two books in this series, SHIVER and LINGER, before you read FOREVER, in order to understand the story.

The tables have turned. Now, Sam is the one waiting. Even though waiting for Grace to return to human form is torture, it is nothing compared to the agony he feels when he thinks about the danger she is in while running loose in the woods. Mr. Culpeper has wanted the wolves in Mercy Falls dead ever since his son was killed by them. After a girl is found torn apart in the woods, Culpeper has just the ammunition he needs to get his wish.

While Grace is Sam's priority, he also has the added responsibility of saving Beck and all of the other wolves. Sam and Grace attempt to come up with a plan, while Cole St. Clair, ex-lead singer of NARKOTIKA and newest pack member, takes dangerous measures to find a cure for the disease infecting his pseudo-family. With the help of Isabel Culpeper and a very unlikely ally, the wolves finally have some hope.

FOREVER has it all - heartwarming romance, angry teen rebellion, and dry, witty humor. It made me laugh, cry, and stress in all the right amounts. FOREVER is the final book in the WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS trilogy. It provides the reader a satisfying ending, while still leaving enough room for us to wonder about the future of the pack.

Maggie Stiefvater has given readers a wonderful story in this trilogy. If you haven't read them yet, run, run, run to the store and get them today.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

Alex feels lost. She has ever since her mother drove off, leaving the family behind, and dying in a terrible car accident on her way to Colorado. Alex has always wondered what Colorado meant to her mother. Why was going there more important than her family? In order to help her get over losing her mom, her two best friends, Bethany and Zack, start making plans to take a road trip to Colorado after high school graduation.

During Senior year, a new boy moves to town and catches Alex's eye. Cole is attentive, athletic, and attractive. Soon, Cole begins to monopolize all of Alex's time. He shows signs of jealousy about her relationship with Zack, shows up where she works and hangs out until she gets off, and starts having violent mood swings.

Alex finds herself in a difficult position. She knows Cole's behavior is wrong and she shouldn't put up with it, but at the same time, she doesn't want to be the "girl who is being abused." She's the poster child for domestic abuse.

Will Alex find the strength to make the right decision? Will she be able to salvage her relationships with Bethany and Zack? Will she ever find out why her mother needed to get to Colorado so badly?

BITTER END is a wonderfully-crafted story. The friendship between Bethany, Zack, and Alex is great and made me want to have friends just like them. Jennifer Brown did a lot of research in the area of domestic violence and it really shows. Everything rings true in this novel.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

With ENTICE we come to the third novel in Carrie Jones' NEED series. Zara is determined to find her boyfriend, Nick. In CAPTIVATE, Nick was taken away by a warrior to Valhalla. With the help of Astley and her friends, Zara begins her quest to find a way to Valhalla.

Zara is really stuck between two decisions. She finds herself drawn to Astley throughout ENTICE, but yet she is single-mindedly determined to bring Nick back. Zara is unsure how Nick will react when she gets him back, because since his "death," she has been Pixie kissed and been turned into not just a Pixie, but Astley's Pixie queen. It doesn't get more complicated than that.

Though Zara wants to solely focus on finding the path to Valhalla, Bedford is besieged by evil Pixies and Zara and her friends must defeat them to protect the town. It's all so complicated for a high school girl who just wants to be normal again after her step-father's death.

There were some plot twists in ENTICE that I totally didn't anticipate. I won't give anything away, but her father makes an unexpected appearance and there's an interesting character named BiForst. The story moves quickly and will satisfy fans of the series.

ENTICE reminded me a bit of P.C & Kristin Cast's BURNED. The story mostly revolves around Zara's journey. There are background stories going on, but overall, the content is the quest. I thought this was to be a trilogy, but after checking out the author's website I found that the 4th book in the series is due out in 2012. So I for one will be eagerly waiting for more of Zara's (and Nick's and Astley's) story!

Reviewed by: Jaglvr