So far . . .
Ghost Town by Rachel Caine.
Latest in the Morganville Vampire series, fabulous! Once again a page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Claire is tasked with helping Myrnin repair the broken machine that keeps outsiders from knowing about the town and insiders from remembering anything once they've left - if they can . . . But the old machine was destroyed when Myrnin's old assistant was finally destroyed, as her brain was the magic behind the machine. So how can they possibly build a replacement without another brain? Claire refuses this option, and still manages to make it work. Kind of. Why are people suddenly forgetting who they are? Faced with the need to destroy the machine (again), will it ever be rebuilt properly? And whose brain will be involved? The answer is truly creepy and disturbing!
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford.
When the matriarch of a wealthy society family in Baltimore announces on Christmas day that she has been deeply offended by one of the Sullivan children and will disinherit the entire family unless she receives a sufficient confession and apology the sisters immediately know that it must be one of them. The boys get away with everything! They each embark upon a detailed explanation of the deep, dark deeds they have committed. Although the prose is somewhat stilted, the story takes off and kept me hooked. Imagine, a story about the very rich without constant reference to designer goods! The ending was a complete shock, and a relief.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield.
On my 'to read' list for ages, I finally got to it. And could not put it down. Taking place in an alternate history of World War I, it is told from the perspective of Deryn, a 15 year old girl from Scotland who joins the air service with the help of her brother (girls aren't allowed in, and boys must be 16) and from that of Alek, the supposed only son of the Archduke Ferdinand - whose assassination kicked off WWI. The war pits the Clankers - Germany, Austria-Hungary, and their allies against the Darwinists - Britain, France, and their allies. The Clankers are a machine loving culture who have developed a bizarre assortment of war machines, including tanks with legs. The Darwinists have used Darwin's ideas to fabricate beasts to do much of the work machines used to do. A page turning adventure, this book reminded me very much of Kenneth Oppel's Airborn, as much of it takes place aboard a fantastic airship. Cannot wait to read the sequel - Behemoth - where we learn what becomes of our protagonists in the Ottoman empire.
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper.
This reads like a female version of Terry Trueman's Stuck in Neutral, which still haunts me. Except this has a slightly younger tone and feel. Oh, and hopeful. Melody is an eleven year old girl with cerebral palsy who has never been able to speak, feed herself, walk, or even hold a pencil. Stuck in a classroom for special kids where the teachers change yearly but almost none treat she and her classmates as thinking people, Melody's frustration is palpable, and enhanced by the fact that she is, like Trueman's character, a very intelligent person trapped in an uncooperative body. A new inclusion program at her school show her what she has been missing and increase her desire to be included with her peers. After seeing a special on Steven Hawking sheand her aide investigate computers that would enable her to speak and her life changes dramatically as those around her begin to appreciate her mind.
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