YA Contemporary

Between Sisters by Trisha Leaver Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2015 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Seventeen-year-old Ella Lawton spent her entire life living in the shadows of her identical twin sister’s popularity, but she never dreamed of having Maddy’s life; never wanted it. In fact, she’s spent the last three years trying to separate herself from the group at school Maddy has chosen, preferring the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook and the company of her best friend, Josh, to the constant battle for attention and popularity that has defined her sister’s life.When a heated argument and a tragic accident leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by friends and loved ones who believe she is Maddy. She is overwhelmed by their joy when they realize she will live – a joy Ella is sure she would not see if they knew the truth, that it is Ella who survived, not her loveable, popular sister. After what she has done, she cannot bring herself to cause even more heartache and in that moment she makes the gut wrenching decision to assume her sister’s life. Navigating her sister’s popularity and boyfriend are hard enough, but Ella soon realizes that Maddy’s life is full of secrets that have kept her popularity intact while slowly destroying her from the inside out. Caught in a web of lies and with no escape in sight, Ella is faced with two options – confess her deception and risk the hatred and betrayal of those around her, or give up all of her own dreams and continue down the destructive path her sister’s life has mapped out for her.

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer Knopf (Random House) April 8, 2014 Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound

Witty, sarcastic Ethan and his three friends decide to take down the reality TV show, For Art’s Sake, that is being filmed at their high school, the esteemed Selwyn Arts Academy, where each student is more talented than the next. While studying Ezra Pound in English class, the friends are inspired to write a vigilante long poem and distribute it to the student body, detailing the evils of For Art’s Sake. But then Luke—the creative force behind the poem and leader of the anti-show movement—becomes a contestant on the nefarious show. It’s up to Ethan, his two remaining best friends, and a heroic gerbil named Baconnaise to save their school. Along the way, they’ll discover a web of secrets and corruption involving the principal, vice principal, and even their favorite teacher. Goodreads

When You Leave by Monica Ropal Running Press Kids April 7, 2015 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Cass is positive that the people she cares about most will eventually leave her. Her father is gone, her mother doesn’t notice Cass exists, and her best friend’s battle with cancer was too close of a call. So when she begins her year at a wealthy new private school, Cass’s plan is to suffer through it in anonymity. However, when her cute locker neighbor, Cooper, shows an undeniable attraction toward Cass, keeping him at a safe distance isn’t easy. Even though her Frogtown skater world and his do-gooder preppy one are so different, Cass and Cooper somehow mesh. But once Cass lets her guard down, the unthinkable happens: Cooper is mysteriously murdered—thus proving her original theory. When Cass’s close friend is suspected as the killer, she isn’t sure who she can trust anymore. Between investigating Cooper’s murder and trying to understand what they really meant to each other, will Cass even find what she is looking for?