Picture this: You, leaving the library (or bookstore) with nothing but a washed up torn “book,” the same one your mom probably read. Now, you will have to spend the next few terrible weeks trying to get interested in this ugly pack of papers. Happened to you before? Do you find yourself in this position before? Oh, come on. We know you’ve read all the big names; Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, the Twilight saga, and the Hunger Games. So we’ve got an antidote for your little reading problem. Here’s a miniscule list for you, made by us, based on the topics and books you love in order from easiest to hardest.
EASY


If you liked world ending topics,
LIFE AS WE KNEW IT By Susan Beth Pfeffer 337 pages****1/2
When a meteoroid hits the moon, everything for Miranda changes. Natural disasters strike the earth, plagues sweep the nation and food is rare. Will her family be able to cope or will they join the millions dead?
“It was kind of like a car crash I couldn’t stop looking at”-Greater Victoria Public Library Picks for Teens

If you loved Twilight and vampires,
THE VAMPIRE ACADEMY By Richelle Mead 332 pages****
Rose Hathaway has been trained since birth for one purpose: Protecting Lissa Dragomir, her best friend and a ‘vampire’ princess. After two years of freedom, they are forced back to the Vampire Academy. But the evil Strigoi are everywhere. Can Rose protect her friend from the evil out there to make her one of theirs?
“The obvious heir to the twilight throne”-The Daily Beast

If you like zombies
The Enemy By Charlie Higson 384 pages****
Trapped in a disease ridden London, a band of kids make their way to a safe place, told of by a mysterious kid in a patched coat. The children make their journey through this destroyed city, full of fear of being randomly attacked by grown-ups, their minds warped from sickness. But will this new safe place really be all that phenomenal? More importantly, do the kids at this new safe place really just wanting to help others? Or are they just power hungry?
“It grabs you by the throat and hooks on to you…the action...takes us through a London transformed by the unexplained illness that has turned every adult into a…kid-crunching machine.” Michael Grant, Author of the Gone series.

If you like real-life problems,
THE HATE LIST by Jennifer Brown 416 pages****

After her boyfriend opens fire on the school cafeteria, Valerie must return to school, torn apart by the shootings based on the list she helped make with her boyfriend. Now, she must move on, haunted by his memory and guilt, and go on with life. But will she be able to with everything a painful reminder?
“Authentic and relevant, this debut is one to top the charts.” Kirkus Reviews

If you like love stories
ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen 383 pages****1/2


Auden is the teenager whom missed out on all things for teens; Eli is the boy still wrung with guilt from the death of his best friend. The one thing they have in common-their sleepless nights. Staying with her divorced father, Auden meets Eli who will show her the ways around his small little beach town at night. Will they fall in love and let themselves go or stay with their normal habits?
“Dessen offers up a summertime tale of self-discovery.” The Horn Book

If you like werewolves,
BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause 264 pages****1/2

Vivian is a sixteen year old werewolf, daughter of the dead pack leader, whom wishes for a normal life. When she finds love with human Aiden, she thinks she can finally find a normal life. But what’s normal about being a werewolf?
“Extrapolating brilliantly from wolf and werewolf lore, Klause creates a…fierce, suspenseful thriller.” Kirkus Review

If you were a fan of Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson series,
THE IMMORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES by Cassandra Clare 512 pages****

Clary unexpectedly meets the Shadowhunters, a group of kids whom kill demons, her whole life is changed. She leaves the Shadowhunters are left dumbstruck, for normal people are not supposed to be able to see them. But more importantly, is she a Shadowhunter? And what does she have to do with one of the biggest bad Shadowhunter’s return from death?
“City of Bones has everything: vampires, werewolves, faeries, true love, and stuff that blows up. What’s more, Clare’s characters are brilliant…” Justin Larbalestier



If you like books that make you really think hard, and know someone with a disability,
HOUSE RULES By Jodi Picoult 532 pages ****
Jacob is a teenage boy with Aspergers, a disease that affects many prospects of life. He has a special obsession over crime analysis. What happens when he his accused of murder? Will he get out? Most importantly did he commit murder?
“…Picoult crafts a cunning whodunit that explores what it’s like to be not only a teenager with Aspergers syndrome but also…accused of murder.”-Book List

If you like mystery and crime,
SHERLOCK HOLMES Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 56 total short stories****1/2
Follow Sherlock Holmes, the world’s favorite detective, through spellbinding mysteries and long, intricate plot twists.
“Sherlock Holmes is the very foundation stone of the edifice that is crime fiction.”- Amazon reviews

If you like the classics and books set in a different time,
OLIVER TWIST By Charles Dickens 496 pages ****
Follow this orphan through the rough streets and meet some of Dickens’ most descriptive characters with dark stories to tell. Learn the story that stole the hearts of people around the world.
“Oliver Twist was Dickens’ second navel and one of his darkest, dealing with burglary, kidnapping, child abuse, prostitution and murder.”-Library Journal
Hard