"Strings Attached" by Judy Blundell

Kit Corrigan leaves her Rhode Island home for New York City. She wants to see if she can make it as a singer and a dancer. City life is hard and when you are not dancing on Broadway money can be tight.
Kit had been involved with Billy Benedict-a boy from back home who has recently enlisted in the army. A huge fight shatters their relationship and that's what makes her head to the big city.
Once there, she struggles to make ends meet. In comes her savior and benefactor, Billy's father-Nate Benedict. He is a lawyer for the mob and his connections to them runs deep and tight. He offers Kit an apartment. Her obligation is now to Nate and he wants her to contact him after she contacts Billy and reconciles.
Kit and Billy reconcile but it is her ties to Nate that will once again drive them apart. Consequently we see her struggles with her job, her personal life, and her family.
An interesting story that takes place during World War II. It will intrigue readers and keep their attention. For anyone who liked "What I Saw and How I Lied" pick this up in March 2011 when it becomes available.

"After the Moment" by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Leigh Hunter falls in love with the most unlikely of girls. Her name is Maia Morland and her issues are far more encompassing that Leigh has ever encountered. But love does not know those kind of boundaries and Leigh cannot help himself.

The story escalates during the weekend Leigh returns to New York to break up with Astra-his girlfriend from home. Maia is totally lacking in confidence and self-assurance and makes a huge mistake while he is gone-A mistake that will ultimately change the course and destiny of both of their lives.

The book reads quickly although the story is powerful and painful. Neither of these characters will walk away from their time together without having been changed in one way or another.

"Breathless" by Jessica Warman

Katie and her brother Will are close. The one thing that separates them from a seemingly perfect brother/sister relationship is Will's mental illness. It is only getting worse. When Will attempts suicide Katie's parents decide that sending her to boarding school is the only way they can shelter her from Will. At the boarding school Katie finds her only solace is in swimming-it is in the pool that she can breathe and forget the realities of her life.

The boarding school, however, comes with temptations and troubles. There are the peer relationships, school, drinking, sex, smoking and boyfriends. All of these combined together sometimes make for some poor choices on Katie's part.

The rawness of the emotions, the story, the mental illness of Will all combine for a powerful novel. I wanted it to end. I didn't want it to end. Warman does a fantastic job of pulling the reader in. I look forward to reading her new book- "Where the Truth Lies."

"Trapped" by Michael Northrup

When seven students are trapped at their high school during the worst storm in years, the tension begins. It begins there and does not stop. Northrup has taken a simple premise and made it complicated. Scotty and his two best friends are stuck with 4 other students-two boys and two girls in a life or death situation. There is no power, no water and the roof has started to collapse. The pressure mounts and a decision has to be made. This decision will have an impact on the rest of the survivors at the school.

A well-written, fast-paced book that will appeal to both readers and non-readers alike. "What if?" seems to be the prevailing question and in some ways it's answered and in other ways there continues to be a ton of questions.

This book will be published in Febrary 2011 by Scholastic.

Pick it up- especially if you are a fan of his first book, "Gentlemen."

"Bright Young Things" by Anna Godbersen

When Cordelia and Letty get on the train to NYC they have no idea what the big city has in store for them. They have their hopes and dreams and that is all that matters to them.

When they get to New York a disagreement sends the two girls on paths of their own-Cordelia to find her long-lost father, and Letty to try to become a singer.

The start of this series is very similar to Luxe-only it's set in a different time period. However, if readers liked that series they will like how this one begins.

Two girls....two futures...and a period of time that was filled with passion, dishonesty, dreams, hopes and money.

"Rosie and Skate" by Beth Ann Bauman

Rosie and Skate are as different as two sisters can be. They don't even live in the same house right now. Their mother is dead and their alcoholic father is in jail. Their story is told in alternating chapters. Each one of them looks at the world a little differently. Although the book is relatively short the growth of the sisters is shown. Each learns how to cope with their dad, their relationships, and how to address their weaknesses. A charming story that doesn't end neatly yet addresses many issues that are being faced by teens today.

"illyria" by Elizabeth Hand

A haunting story of Maddie and Rogan-two first cousins who share both an emotional love and a physical love. They also share a love of the theatre and of acting and singing. It is their discovery of a cardboard theatre in the attic of his house that draws them into the magic of what is and what could be.

The story is filled with magic from beginning to end. The short novel does an excellent job of showing the differences and the similarities between Maddie and Rogan. It is also a book that you would only put on a high school shelf.

Beautiful, passionate, and of course, tragic...three words to describe the characters and their story.