Ordinary Miracles by Diana Aspin
Summary: A collection of short stories located in fictional town of Sky Falls, Ordinary Miracles begins with the story of a home boy named Art who is sent to Canada to work on a farm from an orphanage in England. A mysterious encounter as a child gives him hope for the future, and the collection tells his story and the stories of teens dealing with issues of identity, family, self-esteem, grief and the tragedy of life. The last story brings everything full circle for Art, and gives his granddaughter Amy some closure on a sudden loss in her life. Number of Pages: 167 Age Range: 15-18 Review:...
Read MoreThe Darkest Corner of the World by Urve Tamberg
Summary: Living in Estonia during World War II, Madli witnesses her independent homeland being taken over by the Soviet army. As the army tries to convince Estonian citizens to become comrades, Madli’s father is arrested for writing about the truth of the occupation. When Madli and her brothers go to stay with their grandparents for a summer vacation, they find themselves in the middle of the war, caught between the Soviets on one side and the Nazis on the other. Faced with impossible decisions when it comes to trying to survive and protect those she loves, Madli ponders the importance...
Read MoreFalling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Summary: On the island of Mytica, the three kingdoms of Limeros, Paelsia and Auranos have co-existed somewhat peacefully for centuries in cultures steeped with myths of powerful goddesses and mysterious watchers. When the Auranos’ princess is involved in a Paelsian wine deal gone horribly wrong, it becomes an international incident that fuels old grudges between the kingdoms. Taking advantage of the growing unrest to achieve darker ambitions of blood lust and power, the Limeros’ king offers to partner with Paelsia in a war against Auranos. As the three kingdoms clash, four teens on the cusp...
Read MoreHomeland by Cory Doctorow
Summary: In the sequel to Little Brother, Marcus is mysteriously approached by Masha at an event called The Burning Man with a USB stick containing the key to unlocking secrets from the US government with strict instructions to release the documents if something happens to her. When he sees Masha being kidnapped and can’t stop it, Marcus takes some time to realise he must follow through on his promise. Uncovering over 800,000 files detailing horrendous abuses of power, Marcus teams up with some old friends to go through them and figure out how to leak them to the public. Living in San...
Read MoreCountdown by Michelle Rowen
Summary: Living on the streets after her whole family is killed by a house robber, Kira uses her wits to survive. But when she wakes up in a strange place with a stranger named Rogan chained to a wall and finds out she is a contestant in an underground, televised game, the rules of life have changed and she and Rogan must get through six levels to win or die trying. Told her companion Rogan is a mass murderer and given difficult and violent tasks to complete, Kira must separate the lies from the truth in order to save both their lives. Seeking to beat the game and find a way to shut it down...
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