Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

Maisie Winters’ life changes forever one summer morning before senior year. While out for a run, Maisie suffers near-fatal injuries when a strike of lightning causes an electrical fire that devours half of her face. Weeks later, Maisie wakes up from a medically induced coma and is told she is lucky to be alive--even though her nose, cheeks, and chin are gone, and she feels like a freak. Then Maisie becomes the recipient of a new face from an anonymous donor. Again, she’s told how lucky she is to have this opportunity. But all Maisie can think about is her old life and who she used to be. Who is this Maisie 2.0? How can she be the same girl who won track medals, earned straight-A grades, and was in love with her devoted boyfriend, when everything that matters has changed? This emotionally charged story explores how one girl bravely works through her loss and discovers who she is meant to become. I recommend it to readers who like books about survival, change, family issues, relationships, and overcoming challenges. Maisie’s story will stick with readers long after the last page, and remind us all of just how lucky we are.

Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina

This amazing novel packs a punch--there is so much that makes it both intriguing and high interest, so it’s ideal for teens who have not yet tried or enjoyed historical fiction. Set in 1977 New York City, the author vividly and realistically recreates the setting--the city and time period almost feel like major characters in the story.

Although the city is terrorized by a series of murders, (eventually revealed as the true Son of Sam murders), main character Nora has additional problems on her mind. Her older brother Hector is becoming more and more a stranger--staying out all night, spending time with dangerous people, and getting into drugs. Nora’s single mother pushes her to watch out for Hector and keep him in line--but how, when his temper becomes more explosive and unpredictable everyday? Nora is working and saving money so that she can move out on her own and escape her family’s problems for good. But will her dreams go up in flames during one crazy summer? I recommend this book to readers who like reading about family issues, urban fiction, suspense, and relationships. This book, its characters, and sense of place are unforgettable--I could not get my nose out of it until I turned the last page and I still think about it.

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Warning: This juicy paranormal tale about the descendants of the Salem Witch Trials, including a main character who is a direct descendant of Cotton Mather, was extremely addictive. The story kept calling me back to the book. Samantha Mather is new to Salem, but her lifelong curse has followed her there and seems to have intensified. Samantha is immediately on the radars of--and detested by--a group of teens known as The Descendants. Rumored to be witches, they are descendants of the witches who were hanged as part of the Salem Witch Trials. The author’s writing is particularly strong, which adds to the enticing nature of this book, and there were several times where I swore I was getting goosebumps from the writer’s crafty mastery of the magically creepy. I greatly enjoyed this book as an adult and would have adored it as an adolescent. I recommend this book to readers who like paranormal fiction, ghost stories, witches, and stories about being an outsider trying to fit in.

The Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Set in World War II-era Amsterdam, the main character Hanneke fights her own resistance of the Nazis as a black market worker. She is able to find what others cannot for the people who are willing to pay for rare luxuries like chocolate or meat. Hanneke’s talent is delivering the impossible, until Mrs. Janssen asks her to find a person instead of an item: a hidden Jewish teenager who has seemingly vanished into thin air from a secret room in Mrs. Janssen’s home. Hanneke must try to solve the mystery and find the missing girl before the Nazis do, but how? I recommend this book to fans of Ruta Sepetys’ Between Shades of Gray or Holocaust historical fiction. This book is truly incredible, intoxicating, and intense--it’s one of the best I’ve read all year.

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

For fans of Everything, Everything, this is an entirely different book--yet, it is just as entirely engrossing. Natasha (Tasha) is an undocumented immigrant from Jamaica, living with her family in New York City. Daniel is a first-generation American, born to parents who emigrated from South Korea for a better life. By chance, or perhaps arranged by the Fates, Tasha and Daniel meet on Tasha’s last day in America--she is on her way to see a lawyer to fight deportation orders, and Daniel is headed to an interview for Yale and a future he neither planned or wanted. The writing is exquisite, Tasha and Daniel are absolutely endearing, and this book solidifies Yoon as one of my very favorite authors. Read it--I dare you to not love it. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories about relationships, tough choices, family, and the paths we choose in life as well as finding out where these paths will eventually lead us.

Saving Red by Sonya Sones

Although this story is great for any time of the year, it is particularly perfect for the holiday season. Right before winter break, Molly has “volunteered” to help with the annual Santa Monica homeless count to fulfill her school’s required community service hours. What Molly doesn’t expect is Red, a homeless girl who seems so spirited and full of life that Molly becomes determined to reunite Red with her family. Molly makes it her mission to bring Red home by Christmas. Told in exquisite descriptive verse, this captivating tale tells the story of two girls who have both been touched by mental health issues. The closer Molly gets to Red, the more complex her Christmas mission becomes, and the more Molly learns about herself. I recommend this book to readers who have experienced mental health issues, or who want to learn more about it, as well as readers who like reading stories about friendship and family issues. For thematic book talks, teachers could pair this book with No Place by Todd Strasser (realities of homelessness).