Gemma first meets Ty in an airport coffee shop, shortly after storming away from her parents. She doesn’t think anything is off when he pays for her coffee and invites her to sit with him, but things quickly go south when Ty drugs Gemma and brings her to live with him in the Australian Desert. Ty promises Gemma that he won’t hurt her; he only wants to protect her from the outside world. When Gemma protests, he assures her that she will eventually come to love him and their new home. During her captivity, Gemma dreams about her family and friends and tries to escape on several different occasions. But as more time passes, Gemma begins to see that there is something alluring about the desert—it’s dangerous, yet beautiful and vulnerable…just like Ty, who is prone to mood swings but still deeply devoted to her and the land. Before Gemma can sort out her new feelings for Ty though, Mother Nature lashes out in a way that no one expects, leaving Ty with an ultimatum and Gemma fighting for her life.

I don’t usually read psychological thrillers, but I am so glad that I took a chance and read Lucy Christopher’s young adult novel, Stolen Written as a letter from Gemma to Ty, the story structure allowed me to experience Gemma’s actions and complicated emotions as my own. Lucy’s descriptions of the Australian Desert and Ty’s intimate connection with the land were intoxicating, and the unexpected plot twists kept the pages turning. Overall, I’d recommend this novel to fans of YA psychological thrillers, as well as to lovers of more literary and romantic stories. Stolen really does offer a little something for everyone—it’ll take your breath away and steal your heart at the same time.

Nate Foster cannot wait to get out of Jankburg. Small–town Pennsylvania isn’t exactly the best fit for a too short, too awkward, too enthusiastic-about-singing-showtunes-in-his-backyard 13-year-old. With the help of his BFF Libby (partner in crime and source of every bit of Broadway history there is to know), Nate sneaks out of the house, setting off on a bus to New York City with explicit instructions to hit the open casting call for “E.T. the Musical” and turn right back around before his parents get back from their getaway weekend. Of course, hijinks ensue, leading Nate on an adventure through the insane – but exhilarating – streets of New York, figuring out a whole lot of stuff about the city and himself along the way.

Nate wants to be a star, but he also desperately wants NOT to stand out, and New York seems just the place to make both of those happen. Is Nate gay? Maybe, maybe not – and he’s not sure if he’s into anybody, really, so he’d appreciate if you left him alone about it. What he does know is that he can’t get enough of this place where nobody bats an eye if you’re a little different. And though he still feels like an outsider, like he’ll never measure up, he eventually realizes that his quirks are what set him apart where it really matters. Tim Federle (also hilarious on Twitter – check him out!) has crafted a refreshing story about a different kind of kid with a different kind of dream; sure to make you laugh, smile, root for Nate, and want to read the sequel!

Timmy Failure, Founder, President, and CEO of the greatest detective agency in the history of the world, returns following the breakout success of his first book last year. This time around, Timmy faces the biggest case of his career when his school announces a county-wide mystery contest with a $500 grand prize. This should be the opportunity to take Total Failure Industries straight to the top, but when Timmy misses the deadline, he realizes that a he has stumbled onto an international conspiracy against him that will take all of his cunning to unravel.

Timmy narrates and illustrates his story, confidently and charmingly divorced from reality. As the reader, you cannot help but get caught up in his schemes and end up rooting for the little guy, even knowing all along that his plans can only end in—well, failure. All of the quirky characters that made the first book special return; from Timmy’s lazy partner, a 3,000 pound polar bear, to a largely innocent and unsuspecting nemesis. There are even a few new faces to round out the cast, including an eccentric great-aunt whose presence seems to suggest that something very peculiar is running through the Failure gene pool. Through clever gags and surprising heart, Timmy Failure continues to stand head and scarf above the crowd.

As a massive fan of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Lockhart’s newest novel, We Were Liars. This book combines some of my favorite staples of contemporary YA; close knit friends, fraught family dynamics, first love, and a dark mystery. The story — that of a damaged teen trying to piece together the details of a tragic accident she can’t remember — pulled me in right away.

But it’s Lockhart’s powerful writing that make me want to read We Were Liars again and again and give a copy to everyone I know. Her concise characterizations delve right to the heart of each of the four “Liars”, and the sparseness of her prose echoes the fragility of the world — and the lies — in which they live. The result is a book that tears, rather than tugs, at your heartstrings. It’s heartbreaking, haunting, and unforgettable.