Paper Towns by John Green

The book Paper Towns by John Green is an interesting account of how what we see is not always as it appears. Quentin Jacobsen is a seventeen-year-old living in an Orlando-area high school. He has been in love with his childhood best friend, Margo Speigelman, his entire life. Quentin is an intelligent boy and Margo has a reputation for being tough and cool. When they were nine years old, he and Margo made a discovery that changed their lives forever. While walking through a park, they found the body of a man named Robert Joyner who had killed himself. Fortunately, Quentin’s parents are therapists and he made it through that tragedy an could live a well-adjusted life with few risks and little drama. 
A few weeks before high school graduation, Margo appears at Quentin’s window in the middle of the night. This surprises him greatly for they have not talked in a very long time. She asks him to accompany her on an all-nighter of pranks. She goes on to explain that she is on a rampage of revenge that includes spray paint, blackmail, breaking into Sea World and leaving catfish in people's cars. Quentin thinks that this night will bring him closer to Margo as friends. However, Margo vanishes the day after their adventures.

Quentin turns to his friends Radar and Ben, and to Margo’s friend, Lacy, for help in an attempt to find her. They eventually skip their high school graduation and go on a cross-country trip to find or “save her” for they believe they found Margo's suicide/bread crumb trail in volume of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. Quentin thinks she left this to him so that he could find her body. Along the way, Quentin realizes that Margo is not really the person that he thought he knew. Their  journey takes them to the supposedly nonexistent town of Agloe, New York. When they find her they learn that she neither wanted to be found nor wants to return home. 


Reviewers have noted Green’s deft hand describing the social challenges of the culture in this part of Florida with its heat, overdevelopment, and temptations. Critics also admire Green's memorable and unusual characters in this slice of Florida life.
Other books by John Green: Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Kartherines, Will Grayson, and Other Stuff (this is really the name of the book)

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Winzer

The story Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Winzer is an intriguing tale about a socially awkward boy named Shakespeare. Shakespeare was born into a very dysfunctional family. His brother's name is Ghandi, his father is an alcoholic and his mother is a little more than "off her rocker." Shakespeare is attending his senior year at Ernest Hemingway and is terribly nervous because he doesn't have a girlfriend and his name brings a great amount of unwanted attention.
For his senior year English class he must write a memoir about himself. As he writes his story of tragedy and reads his submissions aloud he begins to win the attention of a girl named Celeste. As their relationship becomes more serious she confesses that she doesn't truly have feelings for him and really only misses her ex-boyfriend. Quickly, he ends the meaningless relationship and moves on. Soon, however, he is drawn to a quiet girl named Charlotte, who is constantly late and is quickly falling behind on her school work. At first she is very reserved and untrusting, but he soon wins her over and their friend ship blossoms and soon they begin dating.
Then, for some unknown reason, he is invited by a very popular guy named Danny to smoke pot with him and his girlfriend. This make Shakespeare very nervous because his usual friend group consists of Neil and Katie, who talk primarily about how pathetic he is or their extraordinary bowl movements. In the end he goes over and inevitably he gets completely stone just in time for his rather critical aunt's visit. He survived but lost his dignity alone the way. Later in the year, during a Jewish holiday called Seder, he drinks a rather large amount of alcohol and thinks it would be a good idea to attempt to kiss a girl who is also attending the festivities, sadly he totally ruins it and she ends up leaving quickly and avoiding him the rest of the night. As prom ominously approaches Shakespeare finds himself without a date and all his "safeties" either already have a date or just flat out won't go with him. In the end he asks Charlotte out, with prodding from his friends, and at first she says no. Thus, he goes by himself, and finding that prom by yourself is not even close to fun he goes to Charlotte's house and persuades her to come to the remainder of the dance. When the dance it over they spend the night walking along the beach and enjoying the evening. At the end of the year Shakespeare had a girlfriend, Charlotte, and a new positive outlook on life.

If you enjoyed this book check out authors such as: Shel Silverstien, Lemony Snicket, and Castration Party, also by Jake Wizner
For more information check out:
http://www.amazon.com/Spanking-Shakespeare-Jake-Wizner/dp/0375840850 http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20080222/AE/937274163
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Spanking-Shakespeare/Jake-Wizner/e/9780375840852

Wake by Lisa Mcmann

Wake is a riveting story of a girl named Janie Hannagan who is unwillfully thrust into the dreams of others. The book begins with multiple flashbacks, all revealing Janie’s extraordinary powers. Janie is forced into independence, for her mother is an alcoholic. Also she is alway trying to find ways to fund her future college education, because of her impoverished situation. Janie discovered this ability at 8 years old, when she was able to witness a businessman’s dream of him giving a presentation in his underwear. From that day on, she is continually tormented by the dreams and nightmares of others. This puts Janie in the awkward position of knowing the darkest secrets of others. Whenever someone falls asleep near Janie, she automatically becomes unable to move and is once again sucked into another unknown world. All of this becomes a problem for Janie, especially during junior and senior years. While most of her classmates have dreams typical of adolescent anxieties, Cabel,a mysterious loner, has frighteningly morbid dreams that Janie can't understand.

After several encounters, Janie and Cabel fall for each other on a class trip to Canada, soon after Cabel learns of Janie's strange powers. Although Cabel helps Janie protect her secret, they are unable to maintain a close relationship because of peer pressures, secrecy (on both sides), and Cabel's growing reputation as a drug dealer to the wealthy.

Even while Janie and Cabel begin grow apart, their desire for each other increases. As Cabel begins to  fall away from Janie and into the drug trade, she realizes things are not always exactly as they seem. Soon she learns that she can control her power to change the dream. With the help of Miss Stubin, at Heather Home, Janie discovers her true potential and has the power to help others resolve the dreams which are tormenting them.

The climax of the story comes as Cabel, along with a number of other Fieldridge students and parents, are imprisoned on narcotics charges. Janie witnesses a dream that helps the police and allows her to free her friends. Because of the information she obtains from the dream she is offered a police contract, a scholarship, and a hefty check by the police captain.

Wake by Lisa Mcmann has received several awards including: the 2008 American Library Association Best Book for Young adults, 2008 Cybil Award Finalist, and the American Library Association Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers 

This fantastic book has also been made into a film starring Miley Cyrus as Janie. The screen play was by Paramount Films, MTV Film, and Christopher B. Landon.
For more information check out: http://www.lisamcmann.com/ 
 http://books.simonandschuster.com/Wake/Lisa-McMann/Wake/9781416595151
http://www.karinsbooknook.com/2008/03/16/wake-by-lisa-mcmann/
If you enjoyed Wake by Lisa Mcmann you will also enjoy the rest of her Wake trilogy including Fade and Gone!!