(3) YA Poor, on-edge, and futureless, Jo-Jo thinks he has no reason to live since his girlfriend died. After meeting the hottest band of the afterlife--on tour among the living--he becomes a groupie, even following the band accidentally into death. The story's original conceit, punk-rock sensibility, and edgy characters jazz up this road trip to the other side.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(3) YA Siblings Maerad and Hem come together via journeys across the entire map of the author's fantasy land of Edil-Amarandh. Following their destinies, these young heroes defeat the powers of darkness. Maerad's ultimate world-saving provides a satisfying conclusion to this well-executed high-concept fantasy quartet.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Bryan Beus. This second 13th Reality story takes Tick and his friends on another quest to save the branching alternate realities composing the universe. This time the threat is a nano-disease created by the villainous CEO Reginald Chu that drives its victims insane. As in the first volume, Tick moves ahead in his rather formulaic adventure by solving puzzles (here less intriguing).

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(4) YA In this flashbacky prequel to Truancy, much is revealed of the falling-out between Zyid and Umasi. Both brothers hate their fascist society, but one becomes a violent rebel leader while the other is more inclined to wax poetical. There's some melodramatic brother-versus-brother wallowing to get through, but the story's fight scenes are vividly cinematic.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(4) YA In this sequel to Gone, everyone's starving in a new world without adults. The rich kids clash with the townies, the mutants fight the normals, and the insidious Darkness is coming for them all. The dramatic tension peters out after a two-hundred-page climactic battle scene, but fans of dystopian novels will gobble this one up despite its excesses.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(3) YA Cronus, King of Darkness, and Medea plot escape and domination while a wicked warlord crushes the Empire and threatens the Icemark. Meanwhile, a multigenerational alliance of humans, werewolves, vampires, and snow leopards fights for good. As with The Cry of the Icemark and Blade of Fire, the book's length is daunting, but fans will be drawn along by the exciting plot.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(4) 4-6 Gatekeepers series. A British teen of Chinese descent, Scarlett is the fifth Gatekeeper destined to save the world from the Old Ones. Traveling to Hong Kong, she finds a city full of shape-changers and corpses. In a race against time, the other Gatekeepers try to save her. Despite some unfortunate stereotypes, this gory, well-paced adventure will keep series fans engaged.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(4) YA Having escaped their grandmother's menacing village in Triskellion, twins Rachel and Adam are immediately taken captive by a sinister organization desperate to understand their alien powers. A headlong flight across Europe introduces them to other, equally magical, sets of twins. The characters can be cardboard, even stereotyped, but the world-building is intriguing, and secrets and hidden agendas effectively drive the plot.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(3) 4-6 In their second adventure, Simon Bloom and sidekicks branch out from physics to biology, absorbing DNA they'll need to save the universe from vengeful Sirabetta. The story moves along at a gleeful pace, with the spotlight less on the self-aware omniscient narrator and more squarely focused on wacky hijinks and creative, pseudo-scientifically explained inventions (e.g., nose-propelled flight).

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(3) YA Raven and her vampire beau Alexander are back with more of the charming formula that's made them so popular. This time, their high school romance is threatened by the arrival of Alexander's royal (and deliciously over-the-top) parents, who expect him to return to Romania. Adorable meet-the-parents dinners help Raven's story reach a high standard for quality fluff.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(4) 4-6 A disease caused by a passing comet has a devastating morbidity-effect on Earth's over-eighteen population. In a last-ditch effort to save humanity, 251 teenagers are launched into space--along with a saboteur. Despite a dubious premise and starship-sized plot holes, this series starter offers dynamic characters and enough action and intrigue (not to mention high stakes) to command readers' attention.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan

(4) 4-6 In their third STORM adventure, Will and friends continue their spy-fi activities in Switzerland. A fugitive scientist may have discovered the secrets of cold fusion, and every spy organization in the world is on his trail. Only the teen trio, with their fantastic gadgetry, can save the day. Character development is sacrificed in favor of action--but there's plenty of it.

Reviewer: Deborah Kaplan