Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists!

Doug Hanson is an obsessed loner. Obsessed with his meticulous model train set, obsessed with watching the beautiful but uninterested Melissa Haverman, and obsessed with his best friend, Andy Morrow. Andy is everything Doug is not: popular, good looking, athletic. Yet strangely, Doug doesn’t mind that Andy hardly ever speaks to him at school or takes him to the jock parties on the weekend. Doug is happy enough just to have Andy’s undivided attention every night when they chat back and forth from their respective next-door windows. But when Doug gets in trouble with the jocks at school, his treasured friendship with Andy begins to unravel. Why doesn’t Andy stick up for him? Why does he suddenly seem so far away? Doug’s been hiding the truth about Andy and himself for so long that he’s not sure what the truth is anymore. And when the truth finally struggles to the surface of Doug’s mind, everything that Doug’s been trying to keep invisible for so long will suddenly and brutally come to light. Disturbing, shocking and oh-so-readable, the ending of Invisible will haunt you long after the last page is turned.

Paul Richmond is the new resident loser at the exclusive Gate-Brickell Christian prep school. Forced to go there by his freshly divorced mom, who is also the school secretary, Paul is miserable among his richer-than-God classmates who refuse to even acknowledge his existence. Then the mysterious and incredibly popular Charlie Good inexplicitly befriends him. Like anyone who finds himself on the bottom rung of the high school caste system, Paul doesn’t question his fabulous fortune–he’s just grateful for Charlie’s attention. But nothing is for free–especially popularity. Pretty soon, Charlie’s going to expect to be paid, and Paul has no idea how high the price is going be. After all, how can you calculate the cost of a human life? Utterly soul-less Charlie will give you chills in this nail biter that is reminiscent of Jawbreaker and Heathers.

The first three lines from Shattering Glass: “Simon Glass was easy to hate. I never knew exactly why, there was too much to pick from. I guess, really, we each hated him for a different reason, but we didn’t realize it until the day we killed him.” ‘Nuff said. If you don’t break the door off it’s hinges on the way to the library to check out this outstanding chiller thriller after reading that, then nothing else I say will be able to convince you!

New kid Lani Garver is a freak. First of all, no one can figure out if he is a she or a he. And he’s about to bring bodily harm upon himself for refusing to follow the unwritten rules of small town Hackett Island High’s ruling elite, the muscle-bound boys of the local fisherman known as the “fish frat.” But the weirdest thing about Lani is that he doesn’t even seem to care. His peaceful manner draws popular, yet introspective Claire to him, and soon they are both marked as untouchables by the fish frat. But how far will these guys go to break Lani’s spirit and punish Claire for associating with him? It’s not like they could kill him…could they? Nothing is as it seems in this strange and foggy nail biter by the author of the equally mysterious and creepy Body of Christopher Creed.

While on their way to a science camp for teen geniuses, Semi, Miranda and Arnie’s plane crashes. The only ones left alive, they struggle to survive via Tom Hanks Castaway style on a small deserted island. But they’re not exactly alone. Hidden at the island’s center is the compound of mad scientist Dr. Franklin. And let’s just say that nowhere in his plans for our three heroes does the word “rescue” appear. Dr. Franklin is obsessed with gene therapy, especially the kind where he splices together human and animal DNA. While this may sound like a Dr. Moreau rip-off (for those late on the lit. scene, The Island of Dr. Moreau is a classic novel NOT just a TERRIBLE movie starring Val Kilmer and a bloated, pasty Marlon Brando) it’s not at all. Semi and Miranda’s incredibly rendered friendship, stretched to it’s breaking point while they try not to allow themselves the comfort of insanity as Franklin decides what animals they will become, is what carries this book over from simply science fiction to probing, deep psychological thriller.

They all have a reason to be angry. Gabriel lost his beloved brother when a gang of kids murdered him for his leather jacket on the subway. Lydia’s father never lets her do a single solitary thing without his consent–and that means dates, friends, trips, ANYTHING. Alec bitterly blames everyone in authority at his former high school for turning him into a dropout drug addict. Hollis is short, fat and brilliant, not to mention pissed at all the people who discount his intelligence based on his appearance. And he knows a way to channel all of their rage into a single act that will not only make an explosive statement, but get back at all those people who hurt them once and for all. Gabe, Lydia, and Alec are resolved to follow Hollis’s plan to the end. But then innocent Gem accidentally gets involved in the group when she and Gabe fall for each other. Suddenly, Gabe is having a change of heart. But Hollis won’t let anyone leave the group until their plan is complete. And he will use any means necessary to protect the plan…even murder.

Leo is letting off steam on the anniversary of his sister’s murder by driving around and trying to forget. But the more he tries to forget, the more he is haunted by the gruesome images of his sister’s last moments. So in a moment of sheer anger and pain, he does something incredibly stupid–he kidnaps a girl on the street who has the gall to be alive while his sister is dead. Once his fury passes, he can’t believe what he’s done. And what’s worse, he has no idea how to fix it… Bree is terrified. Looking for a little excitement, she took a stroll on the wrong side of the tracks and suddenly finds herself blindfolded in the basement of this crazy guy who forced her into his car. But if she can get him talking, maybe she’ll get out of this thing alive. Listen in on the long night of Leo and Bree and decide for yourself if Bree is in danger of losing her life–or just her heart.

There was this teacher, see, who everyone hated because he actually, like, made you earn your grades. So like, these four kids decided to pull this prank on this teacher to get back at him for all the crap he put them through. It was a great idea, see, they were going to blindfold him and tie him up so that he would think he was being kidnapped, but like, they would just scare him, then let him go. Only they didn’t know Mr. Griffin had a weak heart. And that he took medication for it. So like, they were really screwed when Mr. Griffin kind of, well, died. Now four friends have a terrible secret and a body to hide. Ever tried to keep a secret in high school? It’s pretty much impossible, and pretty soon, somebody’s going to find out about Mr. Griffin. This nail biter was written before most of you reading this were born. But it still has the power to make your heart pound and bring your most hated teacher a bright, shiny apple.