The space between, by Brenna Yovanoff

Daphne has grown up in Hell - literally Hell - a city where heat burns away everything not made of  chrome and steel.  The daughter of a demon and a fallen angel, Daphne wonders what her future will be.  Her sisters are soulless demons.  Her brother Obie is a missionary of sorts on Earth, saving lost souls.  Then Obie drops in with a boy from Earth who is on the brink of death, and the boy,Truman,  forges a bond with Daphne.  When he returns to Earth, Daphne follows and finds herself an innocent demon in a strange and complicated (and cold) world.  Obie is missing, and as she and Truman search for him, she learns what it means to love and be human.

Another strange, quirky,  and wonderful story from an always surprising author.  The replacement may still be my favorite, but this one is well worth reading as well.

The compound, by S.A. Bodeen

Eli and his family have lived in the compound for 6 years, survivors of a nuclear blast that destroyed the United States they knew.  But even the best plans have flaws, and food is running scarce.  Then Eli gets a signal from the internet.  The internet!  What is really going on above ground?

This is a fast paced thriller as Eli discovers that all he knows to be true is questionable - and a wrong decision could be fatal for himself and his family.

Postcards from no man's land, by Aiden Chambers

A Printz Award winner in 2003, this is really two intertwined stories.  The story that takes place in modern times traces 19-year old American Jacob Todd through a visit to Amsterdam that changes everything he ever thought about his family and himself.  The second story is about the Allied liberation of Holland from German occupation during WWII, and the relationships forged in wartime that have consequences to this day.

No man's land.  Politically, geographically, sexually, this is Jacob's journey of discovery, and his understanding of family and of self will never be the same.

Flip, by Martyn Bedford

Alex wakes up one morning in a strange house, in as different part of the country, and feels strange and awkward.  Then the full extent of the nightmare he's woken up to begins to dawn on him as he realizes that he is in a different body - the body of a boy named Flip - Phillip.  The family at the breakfast table are total strangers - as is the face in the mirror.

Trapped in a body and a life not his own, Alex struggles to find out what has happened and how he can escape.  But losing his entire identity, his family, his life, proves too much to cope with and Alex is falling apart.

This one keeps you guessing as the suspense builds.  Hard to put down.

Blade : Playing dead, by Tim Bowler

Blade is a tough, street smart, homeless teen, living by his wits in a dangerous world of crime, gangs, and violence.  His skill with a switchblade has earned him his name, and kept him alive.  Now he's on the run again, this time with a girl and her baby.  He needs to get them safe and get back on his own before his past catches up with him. 

A tough, violent adventure that is hard to put down, and begs for more books to be written in the series.

Why we broke up, by Daniel Handler

From October 5 to November 12, Min and Ed fall in love.  Fall hard, fall in spite of everyone telling them that they don't have anything in common, fall passionately, madly in love.  And when it ends, it hurts both of them.  Min returns a box of memories - two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a love note, a toy truck - each a painful reminder of love and loss, explaining each one by one.

Tender, painful, funny, moving.  If you've ever been in love and had your heart broken, you will recognize the story.

Dust & decay, by Jonathan Maberry

This is the 2nd book in the series, and is every bit as good as the 1st book Rot & ruin.  In this one, Benny Imura, his girlfriend Nix, Lilah the Lost Girl, and Benny's best friend Chong, all led by Benny's older brother Tom,  venture out of the safety of their fenced California hometown into the rot & ruin of zombie infested lands in search of other pockets of civilization.  They don't get far.  Instead, they are trapped into Gameland, where people are pitted against zombies while gamers bet on who comes out the winner.

Lots of action, lots of adventure, and something to say about what it is to be couragous.I hope the next book in this series isn't too far off.

Runner, by Carl Deuker

Chance Taylor should be on the track team, should be enjoying school.  But living with his alcoholic father who can't keep a job, Chance is living just one step from homelessness and is scrambling to make some money to buy groceries and pay the rent.  When he is offered money for an easy job, he knows it is somehow illegal, but he's desperate for the money, and it's easy to not think about the illegal stuff.  At first.

Carl Deuker has written some great sports books that always involve ethical problems.  In this one, the ethical issues take front stage while the athletics play a smaller role.  A good book from a consistently good author.

Bliss, by Lauren Myracle

Bliss is a naive girl, raised on a commune, and is not prepared to deal with the mean girls she finds at the new school she attends now that she is living with her grandmother.  But it gets worse.  Bliss hears voices, and seems to be in touch with the ghost of a girl murdered long ago on the school grounds. 

This one was recommended to me as a great spooky read, but it's too creepy for me.  So there you are - if you like scary stuff this might be just your story!