Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval has a form of high functioning autism. He attends a special school and works at the horse stable where kids with special needs receive therapy. Marcelo also hears music that only he can hear. But at the age of seventeen, Marcelo’s father thinks it is time for him to experience “the real world.” Instead of working at the stables for the summer, Marcelo will be working in the mailroom at his father’s law firm. If he can adapt and follow the rules, then Marcelo can choose where he will attend high school his senior year; Paterson or a real high school.

Jasmine, a few years older than Marcelo, is his supervisor is the mailroom. He soon realizes that Jasmine is not thrilled to have Marcelo working for her but before long; trust and friendship develop between them. After a few weeks, Wendell, the son of Marcelo’s father’s law partner, makes him an offer. If Marcelo helps Wendell make the moves on Jasmine, then Wendell will tell Marcelo’s father that he is capable of making it in the real world. Marcelo never agrees because he realizes that Wendell wishes to harm Jasmine. He soon finds himself as Wendell’s helper on a big lawsuit.

In working on the lawsuit files, Marcelo finds a photo of a girl his age whose face has been scarred. He becomes drawn to her and soon embarks on a journey to discover her story. Part self-discovery, part coming of age and part legal drama, the story of Marcelo Sandoval’s seventeenth summer will have readers cheering for the underdog.

Visit Francisco X. Stork's website.

Red Glove by Holly Black (Curse Workers book 2)

“The cons get twistier and the stakes get higher.”

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first book in the series, White Cat, Stop! I don't want to ruin the story for you.

“Curses and cons. Magic and the Mob.”


After spending the summer with his mother in Atlantic City looking for her next millionaire mark, Cassel Sharpe is almost looking forward to the start of school. In a short time, Cassel has discovered quite a few things about himself. He is the most powerful curse worker around. Cassel has the ability to transform with a touch of his hand. The girl he loves, Lila Zacharov, is no longer a white cat he unknowingly turned. But unfortunately, Cassel’s mother, an emotion worker, has cursed Lila to love Cassel and he can no longer trust what Lila says. And after spending the summer avoiding Lila, Cassel is stunned when she enrolls at Wallingford Prep. Looks like it might be an interesting school year.

Cassel is soon pulled out of class and called into the headmistress’s office. Upon his arrival, he notices two men waiting on him are federal officers. He is taken to their headquarters where he is eventually told that his brother Philip is dead and that he was working with the government at the time. Cassel is offered training and a job with the government if he finds out the information Philip was going to supply. The only clue the feds have to go on is a grainy image of a woman wearing a red glove. To make matters worse, at Philip’s funeral, Lila’s father offers Cassel a job. He also tells Cassel he wasn’t responsible for his brother’s death.

Which path will Cassel choose, the feds or the mob? Can he find out who is responsible for his brother’s death? And does Lila really love him or is it just the curse talking?

The trilogy concludes with Black Heart in 2012.

Visit Holly Black’s website.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments book 4)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three books in the Mortal Instruments series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

It has been six weeks since the story ended with City of Glass. The Mortal War is over and most everyone is home from Idris. Clary is training to become a Shadowhunter and is finally free to pursue a relationship with Jace. Simon is adjusting to his new life as a vampire. Jocelyn and Luke are planning their wedding. But not all is right in New York. Jace seems to be pulling away from Clary and will not tell her why. Vampires are jockeying for Simon’s allegiance. And a newcomer is in town to help guide Simon.

But someone or thing is killing Shadowhunters and making it look like Downworlders are doing it. And the dead share a connection; all were members of Valentine’s Circle. Is Sebastian back from the dead? Why ha Camille come back to New York? Who is creating demon babies? And can Clary figure out what is going on with Jace?

The story continues in book five, City of Lost Souls.

Visit Cassandra Clare's website.

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Cryer’s Cross, Wyoming, population 212, is the home to Kendall Fletcher. Kendall suffers from compulsive-obsessive disorder (OCD) and it controls her life. When Tiffany Queen disappears without a trace in the spring, Kendall’s life is disrupted. Order is a necessity in her life and only her childhood friend/boyfriend Nico Cruz knows her secret. When Kendall and Nico’s senior year begins, Kendall is relieved to have a sense of normalcy back in her life. As the only girl her age at school, Kendall is surprised to learn that two new students will be attending her school, Marlena and Jacian Obregon.

Jacian is also a senior and angry to be in a new school where he feels his life has been turned upside down. Even worse, he was questioned in Tiffany’s disappearance since he was new in town. When Nico becomes distant towards Kendall and then disappears, the town is once again in an uproar that quickly dies down. Kendall’s life is spirally out of control, especially when soccer is cancelled due to not enough players. The sheriff implements a curfew for the young people and no one is to be alone. With Nico missing, Kendall is paired with Jacian, much to her dismay. But they soon find out they have a lot in common.

Who or what is causing the young people of Cryer’s Cross to disappear? And can Kendall figure it out before she becomes the next victim?
Visit Lisa McMann’s website.

The Doomsday Box by Herbie Brennan (Shadow Project book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Shadow Project, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Danny, Opal and Michael are back and still work for the top secret Shadow Project. A new member, Fuchsia, has joined their team and possesses some mysterious abilities. Their newest assignment turns out to be for the CIA and involves a reclaimed military project from the 1960s, Project Rainbow. The project involved time travel and teleportation but unfortunately the space-time distortion that was created couldn’t be closed. The US government sealed it shut until recently when the decision to reopen it was made. But in drilling the concrete bunker open, an alarm from inside near the rift goes off. The Shadow Project is brought in to see what or who triggered the alarm.

Opal checks out the rift’s chamber in an out-of-body experience and gives the all clear. The decision is made to continue opening the chamber. Everyone is in awe of the rift except for Fuchsia, who fights the urge to be physically sick. Mr. Carradine, the CIA liaison to the Shadow Project, seems familiar with the rift chamber. Soon Colonel Saltzman, the US military commander of Project Rainbow notices a box at the rift and opens it. Carradine calmly and forcibly tells him to put it back. Fuchsia feels like “Pandora’s Box” was opened.

Several hours later the members of the Shadow Project are placed under quarantine with the sudden death of Colonel Saltzman. The suspected cause is the Black Death. Mr. Carradine decides the only way to stop Cobra is to send the Shadow Project kids back in time to talk Cobra from leaving the box in the future. But can the four of them find Cobra in 1962 and successfully talk him out of doing something 20 years in the future? Can they survive Moscow during the height of the Cold War? Will they be successful and make it back to their bodies as well as same the world?

Visit Herbie Brennan’s website.

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

“There once was a shoemaker who worked very hard, but was still very poor … -The Elves and the Shoemaker"

Johnny and his mother run a shoe repair business at the Coral Reef Grand, a posh resort located on Miami’s South Beach. Times are tight as Johnny works eighteen hour days and his mother works at a hot dog stand in a failing attempt to keep their heads above water. His dream is to be a shoe designer and Johnny spends his free time creating shoes. One day a beautiful princess checks into the hotel. Her reputation as a spoiled socialite precedes her. Johnny’s friend Meg, who runs the coffee counter next to Johnny, is unimpressed with the princess but he is a bit smitten.

When the princess drunkenly visits Johnny’s shop one night to fix her shoe, he is excited by the opportunity to work on such an exquisite shoe. The catch, he must personally deliver it to her when he is finished. The next morning, Johnny goes to her penthouse and soon learns the princess created a ruse about herself. She is really in Miami to search for her missing brother, the heir to the throne of Aloria. He fell for a village girl who was really a witch and she turned him into a frog. The spell can only be broken “by ze kiss of one wiz love in her heart.” But he is kidnapped and placed on a ship bound for Miami. The witch promised to break the spell on her brother if the princess marries the Zalkenbourgian heir and combined their countries. Johnny has a hard time believing the princess but soon realizes that she believes she is sincere.

The princess confides in Johnny because she sees him as a hard worker and a good boy who would be willing to help her. She offers to pay him handsomely and even marry him if her brother is found. Will Johnny decides to help the princess find her brother/frog? Does his dream of becoming a shoe designer come true? And just which young lady captures Johnny’s heart?

Cloaked is a mixture of several fairy tales including The Elves and the Shoemaker, the Frog Prince, Six Swans, and several others.

Visit Alex Flinn’s website.

Delirium by Laure Oliver

“They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.”

In the future, the United States has closed off its borders. Love has been declared a disease and the root of all evil. Amor deliria nervosa is the “deadliest of all deadly things.” Boys and girls are under strict segregation policies most of the time until the cure can be safely administered. “The cured, incapable of strong desire, are thus rid of both remembered and future pain.” One cannot be cured until they reach their eighteenth birthday. Until then, one must be extra diligent not to succumb to the disease.

For Lena, her eighteenth birthday cannot come soon enough. An orphan since the age of six, Lena has lived with her aunt and uncle since her mother’s refusal to receive the cure for a fourth time and subsequent suicide. Lena walks a fine line in life, stay out of trouble, receive the cure and live her life. With her graduation looming on the horizon, Lena and her best friend Hana go to the labs for their Evaluations. Evaluation Day is the exciting rite of passage that prepares you for a future of happiness, stability and partnership.” Lena’s Aunt Carol has prepped her for years in saying the right things to get a good score and a better future. Lena’s nerves get the best of her during the Evaluation and her hopes for a good score are dashed until a disruptive demonstrative takes place in Lena’s Evaluation room. It seems the Invalids who live in the Wilds turn loose a trailer of cows in the lab facility to make a point. In the chaos, Lena notices a young boy grinning at her from the observation deck. All Evaluations are nullified and Lena breathes a sigh of relief.

Lena and Hana are distance runners. One day Hana decides they should look around the labs and see how the cows got in. Soon they run into a young guard named Alex and Lena realizes he is the same boy from the observation deck of her failed Evaluation. He claims not to know what she is talking about but Lena soon realizes he does. Alex does give Lena a cryptic message to meet him at the beach later that night but once she gets there, he is a no show. Later on Lena goes to Hana’s house and hears her listening to illegal music. Hana begs her to come to an unapproved party but straight-laced Lena refuses to go. Hana tells her she won’t end up like her mother, Lena’s greatest fear. After bed, Lena begins to question her decision and sneaks out to the party.

After finding Hana at the party, Lena soon realizes her mistake and turns to go home. On her way back to her bike, she encounters Alex once again. Lena questions him again about his appearance during her Evaluation, but is shocked when he asks why she didn’t meet him at the beach. Alex then tells Lena that he has noticed her for months on her runs and she just hasn’t noticed him. Soon they are dancing. Alex asks if Lena will meet him the next day and she agrees.

Soon Lena realizes that she is catching amor deliria nervosa or falling in love with Alex. She begins to question everything she knows. Is the cure all that the government leads its citizens to believe or is the joy and heartbreak of love and pain worth the risk? Only Lena can decide where her path will lead her.

Lena’s story will be continued in Pandemonium in 2012 and Requiem in 2013.

Lauren Oliver's descriptions are vivid and her writing make this a worthwhile read even if you are not interested in the subject matter. For those who are, one will throughly enjoy this cross between Matched by Ally Condie and Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series.

Visit Lauren Oliver's website.