Redbery Books

Maggie Stiefvater, whose most recent book is The Raven Boys, is a fantastic writer!  Her use of language is lovely and interesting, with unique characters that somehow really resonate with today's world.  I also love anything by Lauren Oliver, especially Before I Fall, in which a teenage girl has to relive a single day over and over, each time learning something important and becoming a better person.

A is a 16 year-old who has woken up in a different body each and every day for as long as he can remember.  It's wildly original premise allows the reader to experience a life that gets at questions about the nature of identity, true love, and gender in a way that only the talented Mr. Levithan could imagine.  The language is beautiful and the ending is stunning.  This YA book is not just for young adults, but for readers of all ages who appreciate a book that surprises and delights on every page!

This book is really unputdownable! I read it first ( in about a day and a half) then three of my children read it so we had a family book club for a couple of weeks where all we could do was talk about the characters from the Hunger Games. It is set in a nation called Panem which consists of a Capitol and twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is cruel and harsh and keeps the people in the districts in line by forcing them to each send a boy and a girl to participate in the "hunger games" once every year. The "games", which are broadcast on live television throughout the districts, are a fight to the death contest of survival. Sixteen year-old Katniss volunteers for the games after her younger sister is chosen. She then finds herself one of the contenders and must make choices between survival and friendship, life and love. It's a book that appeals to both girls and boys and even most adults. The plot is fast-paced and you'll want the start the second in the series, Catching Fire, right away.