Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown (170 pages)
This novel, told in poetic form, gives the reader a glimpse into the life of a young girl, Rachel, whose mother has abandoned her family. The novel begins with the mother packing up her car and leaving for an unknown destination, and Rachel blaming herself and her father. What Rachel doesn’t understand is that her mother is ill with bipolar disorder, which means she has serious depression one minute and then major happiness the next. Rachel definitely struggles as she tries to cope with her mother’s abandonment - she stops doing her homework, hides her mom’s whereabouts from her best friend, and is angry with her father all the time. The simple poetry makes this tough subject matter an easier one to grasp and it is written with younger teens in mind.
Miss Simer’s Rating: ***
Teens Omar and Becky have been best friends since early in their childhoods. They’re outcasts in their school and have been tortured by school bully, Kyle, for years. When a new student, Akhil, arrives and is different from any other student they’ve ever encountered, Becky and Omar befriend him. Akhil has strange scars up and down his arms, he refuses to sit in the chairs in the classroom, talks back to his teachers, and is the first boy to give Becky a flirtatious flutter. But, Kyle sees Akhil as fresh meat and his impending plan puts not only Akhil in danger, but everyone at the school that he has on his hit list. With an interesting approach to school violence by comparing it with a wolf pack, this novel will make the reader wonder about how far bullies will go and what students can do to stop them before it’s too late.
Another year in school, Vlad doesn’t know if he will survive it. His problems are just stacking, when Henry doesn’t want to be his drudge anymore, D’Ablo is seeking revenge on him, his relationship with Merideth, his uncle mysteriously disappears, and Eddie is still trying to prove he is a vampire. Vlad doesn’t know if he will survive the first week. This book is a wonderful over the weekend read.
Auden is spending her last summer before college in a lazy beach town with her father, his wife, and their new baby. She hasn’t spent much time with her father since the divorce, and staying with her super-intelligent mother is driving her crazy. She expects it to be a summer away where she can be alone and prepare for college, but things don’t always go according to the plan! Auden makes some friends while doing accounting at her stepmother’s clothing shop, she meets a mysterious loner boy who is an insomniac like she is, and she actually grows attached to her new stepsister. She also doesn’t expect to relive the feelings she had when her parents were constantly fighting and on the verge of separation. She learns some serious life lessons about enjoying the little things in life and not taking your family for granted.
Thirteen-year-old Ruby Parker has played Angel on the British soap opera, Kensington Heights, since she was six. She and her character are so alike it’s almost as if she’s no longer acting! When Ruby hears rumors on the set that she is about to be fired for being in a “dumpy” phase, she starts to get really worried. However, the producers of the show approach her and let her know that her character is going to have a makeover and her first kiss. Meanwhile, Ruby’s parents are on the verge of separation, so she has quite a lot to deal with. Ruby is a likable character even though she doesn’t really see herself as others do. 
Ambrose hasn’t had the easiest life. He’s constantly moving and changing schools, his mother is enormously overprotective, he has a deadly allergy to peanuts, and he has zero friends. In fact, three bullies intentionally placed a peanut in his sandwich that nearly killed him! After that attack, his mother pulled him from school to be homeschooled, but when she’s away at work, Ambrose spends his time with their landlord’s ex-convict son, Cosmo. Ambrose and Cosmo form an unlikely friendship in which Cosmo teaches Ambrose self-defense, and Ambrose makes Cosmo take him to play in the local Scrabble club. While they male-bond behind his mother’s back, Ambrose learns a little more about how to socialize with others and how to stand up for himself against bullies.
When Atticus’s family is murdered by Roman soldiers, he is sold into slavery. Bought by Lucius, Atticus is trained to be a valuable servant. He is trusted by Lucius to listen to the secrets of the rich and learn of any deceptions afoot in Rome. When Atticus hears whispers about an impending attack on the Emperor, Lucius is quick to work out a plan that will save his friend the Emperor from harm. Backstabbing, lying, and scheming are ever-present in Ancient Rome and it is Atticus’s job to help restore nobility to the city. It seems to be an unreliable retelling of history, as Atticus doesn’t really see much of a true slave’s life. He is trusted by his master, taken to gladiator exhibitions, reunited with a lost love one, and more. 
Freshman Will Carter has never gotten into much trouble, had luck with girls, or been popular at school. He’s determined to turn things around this year by joining the football team, going to parties, and dating the hottest girl who’ll have him. His choices don’t exactly work out as planned, but they definitely make the reader laugh out loud! If you think teenage boys are lewd and crude, this novel backs it up! With only one thing on his mind most of the time, Carter and his boys fill up the scenes with locker room talk, but Carter manages to stay a likable character. The highlight is his first date with Abby in the movie theater - be prepared for some disgusting imagery! (for mature readers)