(4) YA Escape: Summer Road Trip series. A series of light hi-lo novels detail teens' summer trips: Kendra and Mitch are swindled in the City of Sin (Vegas); Tree and Jeanne survive mishaps in 1987 Stonehenge (Lights); and Tamika fights her depression on a kayaking trip (Rapids). Despite the books' uneven plots, their pop-culture references, unchaperoned adventures, and highly accessible texts may appeal to teenage reluctant readers. There are three other fall 2017 books in this series. Review covers these Escape: Summer Road Trip titles: Vegas, The Rapids, and Shooting Lights.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) YA Nikki Tate's father, wrongly convicted of murder over a gambling dispute, is now out of prison and intent on finding the real killer. The African American teenager quickly becomes entangled in the mystery herself and delves into the sinister underbelly of the Las Vegas gambling scene. A layered crime drama with compelling main and secondary characters; the well-paced mystery plot will keep readers turning pages.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(4) YA Dark Roads series. These "map-your-destiny" novels focus on a teen who uses drugs and sex to cope with her parents' divorce (Skeleton); a young Latino man dealing with being gay (Bloodline); and the son of an addict changing his own fate (Fade). The racy, graphic books can be melodramatic, but they raise worthwhile questions about choices and consequences. There are three other fall 2016 books in this series. Review covers the following Dark Roads titles: Bloodline, Fade to Black, and Skeleton Princess.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) 4-6 Knightley & Son series. After his father's housekeeper is kidnapped, Brits Darkus Knightley, his dad, and his stepsister Tilly jet off to America to find her--knowing full well that they may be walking into the trap of nefarious crime organization Combination. Topsy-turvy family dynamics; amusing secondary characters (the Knightleys have Californian doppelgängers!); a juicy plot revelation; and fast-paced, over-the-top action make for a rousing third installment.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) YA Big Bet series. Jason Jorgensen is the narcissistic leader of a crew of high-school con artists. As the gang pursues more risky challenges--from rigging poker games and professional basketball games to ultimately trying to scam the Mafia--loyalties are tested and the stakes skyrocket. This hi-lo series features quick-moving plots and snappy dialogue, but Jason's first-person narration is uneven and tends toward prosaic. Review covers these Big Bet titles: Bullseye, Checkmate, The Four Racketeers, Payment in Kind, Too Much Action, and Up the Stakes.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) YA Seventeen-year-old auto thief Jules boosted forty-two cars before she got caught. Miraculously, instead of going to jail, she and her little sister have a new foster parent--a peculiar millionaire who's assembled a teen crime crew to steal seven rare cars. Jules's tough-as-nails voice, the gritty Las Vegas setting, and adrenaline drive this entertaining (and requisitely over-the-top) Gone in Sixty Seconds–like adventure.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) YA "Good Korean Girl" Hannah convinces her free-spirited older sister, Grace, and best friend Lo to drive to Las Vegas to surprise Hannah's longtime BFF, Nick--whom she's never met in person (they have an intense internet and phone relationship) and for whom her feelings have moved beyond friendship. Hannah's dithering over whether to tell Nick grows tiresome, but the story is escapist fun.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA CHERUB series. The series about teenage British spies continues. When he was younger, agent Dante Scott saw his family murdered by a biker gang; now, he evens the score (Brigands). A training mission with American Intelligence in Las Vegas leads siblings James and Lauren Adams into dangerous gambling hijinks (General). Each multi-plotted story follows a formulaic pattern of mixing fast action and suspense with CHERUB group dynamics. Review covers the following CHERUB titles: Brigands M.C. and The General.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Rose befriends Jade, a shape-shifting dragon, in the Nevada desert. Jade is searching for a stone that will wake other dragons from their multi-million-year enchanted sleep. The straightforward, humdrum story only picks up in the last third when an enemy emerges, but those looking for a gentle dragon tale with mild danger should enjoy this; the ending sets the stage for a sequel.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(3) YA Naturals series. Shortly after her murdered mother's remains are finally located, Cassie and her fellow Naturals are summoned to Las Vegas to investigate three gruesome casino murders. Authentic camaraderie continues to develop among the teen investigators as they uncover a chillingly sinister connection between murders past and present. Gripping and fast-paced, this latest installment takes the series in a darker--but intriguing--direction.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(4) YA Erica Silverman disappeared at the age of four. Seventeen-year-old Violet knows the truth: Erica is dead. Raised by a con man, Violet has spent her entire life preparing to convince the girl's desperately searching mother that she is Erica in order to make off with the Silverman wealth. Though slow to start, this is an entertaining and complex swindler story.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) YA Half-sisters Leo and Paris have weathered familial unpredictability their whole lives. Now, artistic Paris sends the more straight-laced Leo a series of cryptic clues for a scavenger hunt through Las Vegas. On her search for her sister, Leo uncovers secrets and begins to fall in love with a stranger. This satisfying romantic mystery is a well-paced mix of action and drama.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) YA Late Grandpa Jim bequeathed to Holly his financially insolvent Las Vegas wedding chapel. He also asked her to deliver a letter to Dax Cranston--grandson of Jim's nemesis and "not the ugliest guy I had ever seen." With all its quirkiness, Holly's story could almost be a sitcom. But the hilarity is tempered by moments of genuine feeling, whether it's grief or romance.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(2) YA Having fled Los Angeles for the relative safety of Las Vegas at the end of Legend, Day and June decide to throw caution to the wind and join forces with the Patriots to assassinate the newly ascended Elector Primo. Readers not hooked by the sociopolitical elements will still clamor for the final volume to see whether Day and June's romance can survive.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2013

(3) 4-6 When Sammy learns that her absentee mother is getting hitched in Vegas (complicating fallout: Sammy's boyfriend would then be her stepbrother), she teams up with her archenemy (and future friend?!), Heather, to disrupt the wedding. In this sixteenth book, Van Draanen unleashes Sammy's bitterness and anger toward her mom, and the author drops a bombshell: her thirteen-year-old protagonist finally discovers who her father is.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) YA Twins Paisley and Beau discover that their missing, previously incarcerated father has been trying to reach them. To get on TV so he'll track them down, the "Wonder Twins" rob Las Vegas businesses at gunpoint--and become an anarchic symbol of hope for teenagers everywhere. Two-dimensional characters, including a cartoonishly evil grandmother, detract from the otherwise intriguing (and profanity-laden) story.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) 4-6 Magickeepers series. Cousins Nick and Isabella are busy honing their craft as Magickeepers when another crisis arises that only they can solve. Incorporation of Russian culture and lore, historical figures, and mini history lessons makes for an educational read. However, the frequency of such components, minus a strong interconnecting narrative, slows the story down.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess

(3) YA A guardian angel lands in Las Vegas in the form of a teenager named Noah. Having failed in his last mission to save Princess Diana, Noah (who seems more human than angelic) is determined to protect his new charge Barbra, a young Diana lookalike. The playful story, which often reads like a tour book of Vegas, also keeps readers in suspense.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(4) 4-6 Magickeepers series. Skateboarder Nick is an ordinary American kid. Then he finds out he's a Gazer, child of prophecy and the lost prince of a Russian tribe of Magickeepers. The Magickeepers reveal themselves to Nick on his birthday and train him to perform in a Las Vegas show. Though the themes are pat and predictable, the setting is original.

Reviewer: T. Borregaard

(4) 4-6 Kaimira series. Illustrated by Jeff Nentrup. After meks capture Mei's mother, her father sends her to balloon-lifted Sky Village. Across the world, Rom battles beast-mek hybrids to rescue his sister from a gambling overlord. A mysterious book connects Mei and Rom. This ambitious series starter has a hard time holding itself together, but anime fans will love the creative vision and the occasional dark, dramatic illustrations. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam