Marked, Chosen, and Betrayed by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast

This series, known as the House of Night series, is a great vampire twist. It involves Gods, love, and loss. This is an intresting take on how people become "vampyres" and the powers associated with the Goddess Nyx. A major recommendation if into vampires, look forward to Untamed the fourth in this amazing series. (submitted by Austin, Sophmore)

Brisingr By Christopher Poalini

This book was an exhilerating addition to the Inheritence series. Throughout the entire book I just kept wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book as well as the first two books in this series (Eragon and The Eldest). However, never see the movie Eragon because it is a rip off of the books. Anyways, Brisingr was an exciting adventure and I can't wait to read the fourth book. (Submitted by Alyssa, Junior)

Resurrection Men by T.K. Welsh

The review said this book was a challenging read, so I picked it up just to read a few pages to see what they considered challenging. I ended up reading the whole book even though I was in the middle of another novel at the time. Set in Victorian England, this is a rather dark "Oliver" tale. The main character is a young boy who is orphaned and placed on a ship as a cabin boy. When he breaks his leg, the captain has him tossed overboard since he is no longer useful. This cavilier treatment of the poor and unfortunate, particularly children, factors greatly into the plot of this story. Our young orphan survives his intended death and eventually ends up in London, part of a group of begger children, very much like Dicken's Oliver Twist. What makes this novel darker is the topic of stealing bodies from fresh graves (hence the title) which was an illegal, but not uncommon practice at the time as medical science was beginning to take off. The plot is fairly action packed, but cringe worthy on a number of occasions due to the gruesome topic. In terms of being challenging: the author has a great vocabulary and there may be a number of words the reader won't know, but most can be figured out using the context of the paragraph. I find it quite refreshing to be introduced to new vocabulary, so I enjoyed that aspect. (submitted by J.S, librarian)

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

On my own free time I read Girl, Interrupted, a memoir written by Susanna Kaysen. This memoir is an account of her experiences in a psychiatric hospital during the 1960s after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The book does not follow a typical linear plot, instead the author chooses to reflect on events through a series of non-chronological reflections. Through her experiences at the hospital Susanna meets other individuals going through dissimilar experiences, yet they share a common bond of the female spirit. Written with honest personal revelation and poignancy, Girl, Interrupted is a fascinating story of survival amongst defying circumstances. (Corbin - senior) 

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five is one of the most memorable books in classic literature. With Vonnegut's distinct writing style and dark sense of humor, Slaughterhouse-Five constructs a complex story about Billy Pilgrim, a soldier fighting in World War II who is abducted by an alien race known as the Tralfamadores. Billy thus becomes "un-stuck" in time as he travels back through various points in his life from the war in Germany to the calmness that surrounds his life after the war.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road is a post apocolyptic tale of a father and a son trying to survive. Everything has been burnt, not much vegetation is left, so people are starving and many have turned to cannibalism as their only hope of survival. (submitted by CB - senior)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

This was easily the best book I read this summer. It reminded me a bit of Steinbeck with his vivid settings and unique characters. We meet Edgar, the main character, when he is just starting high school. He lives on an isolated farm near a small midwestern town. He was born unable to speak, though there is no apparent physical reason. His parents breed and raise dogs and the dogs are central to this tale. Edgar, who is beginning to take on some of the dog training responsibilities, shows a keen ability to communicate with the dogs. Without giving away any major plot points, what appears to be an idyllic story line, turns dark and never looks back. Even at the point I recognized where the author was taking me, I couldn't stop turning the pages. I'm not sure I liked the ending, but I very much enjoyed the ride. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. (submitted by J.S - librarian)