The Morgue and Me, by John C. Ford

The Morgue and Me, by John C. Ford, has such an interesting plot and cover that I know several of my students will want to try it out. I already had a few students say they wanted to read it just based on the cover...it is a really cool cover!

Main character Christopher lives in small-town Petoskey, Michigan, and is trying to save money for college. Instead of taking a typical employment route, he decides to work part-time as a janitor at the local morgue, under slightly-eccentric Medical Examiner Dr. Mobley. After a short time at the morgue, Christopher discovers that something must be awfully amiss when he witnesses Dr. Mobley falsify a death certificate. He rules the death a suicide, but Christopher knows that the multiple gun wounds the chest can simply NOT be the result of a suicide - it's murder. So, he sets out to find the truth about this supposed nobody's death and set the record straight. Along the way, Christopher learns a lot about his town, his friends, and politics - sometimes more than he'd like to know. Christopher vows to determine the true story behind the death of this mystery man, no matter what it takes.

I loved Ford's characters and the way he developed them, although the strange relationship between Christopher and the reporter he begins to work with frustrated me throughout the entire novel. It did keep me guessing constantly, which I like in a mystery - I never felt like I could predict the outcome, which is fun.
There was some strong language and hints at sex, so I'd recommend this for more mature YA readers. 

Boy Nobody, by Allen Zadoff

Nobody knows his real name, he lives alone, he moves around a lot, and is smarter than most people you meet in a year. And he's only 16. Benjamin, as we know him for most of the novel, is "Boy Nobody" - an assassin hired and trained by "The Program", an agency that takes out threats to U.S. Security. Benjamin has worked on several cases, but the case we follow him through in this novel is the highest profile yet - he's assigned to take out the Mayor of New York City, and he's got to get close to the mayor through his gorgeous daughter, Samara. This could spell trouble for Benjamin; part of the reason he's so good at his job is that he never gets close to anyone. Not really anyway.

Benjamin can sense that his "Mother" and "Father" (not his real parents, but his directors in The Program) are worried he won't be able to complete his assignment, but he is determined to see it through, no matter what the cost. He has a sinking feeling that he may be up against something larger than anyone knows, but he can't let those suspicions cloud his judgment. Will he be successful?

I LOVED this book and know that it will really reach some of my more reluctant boy readers - there's lots of action, just a little bit of romance, and the chapters are short, letting the reader move through the book quickly. My students love books with short chapters. There was one part of the book I didn't like though. There's some indication that Ben's real parents might still be alive, but it's never really cleared up. I wish I knew that part of the story. In looking at Allen Zadoff's website, it looks like Boy Nobody's story will continue in a series - I can't wait! The next book is called I Am The Mission, and is due out in June.

Here's a trailer for the book:

Also Try: Hero, by Mike Lupica

The Body in the Woods, by April Henry

I am a huge April Henry fan, and love the way her books captivate even my most reluctant of students. The Body in the Woods was a little different to me than her other novels, but I still loved it. The most striking difference between this novel and her others, to me, was that it was a little bit "harder" if you will: it looked at more in-depth at some ugly, real-life issues, like the "homeless scene", drugs, etc. It seemed to present a really accurate depiction of these things, but did come off as a little more YA than her previous novels.


Anyway, The Body in the Woods is about three teenagers, Ruby, Alexis, and Nick, who are a part of Portland's Search and Rescue (SAR) team. They're called out of class one day to participate in a routine investigation for a handicapped adult male who's gone missing in a park. However, their experience turns out to be anything but routine when they stumble upon a dead body.

Their involvement in the case should be minimal, but the three (especially Ruby) are convinced that there's something the police are missing. They're not convinced when the police make an arrest in the case, and vow to continue looking and find the truth. But, will they get so close to the case and the murderer that they endanger themselves?

What I love about April Henry's writing is that it keeps you guessing and is fast-paced; that's what my students love about it as well, and this novel continued that trend.

Blood Wounds, by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Blood Wounds was such a departure from Pfeffer's other books that I've read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! 

Blood Wounds is all about Willa, the ugly-stepsister type to two princess types. Willa's stepsisters are privileged, poised, and experienced - everything that Willa's not - but they've always considered each other family and gotten along really well. They live harmoniously with Willa's mom and stepfather (the girls' dad) in a nice house, and Willa only gets slightly annoyed that the girls get their every desire from their mother.

However, the idea of this "happy family" comes into question the second Willa starts receiving strange phone calls about a man named Budge. It turns out that "Budge" is Willa's biological father, and that he's wanted for the murder of his wife and three daughters - sisters Willa didn't even know she had. Hearing of her father's new family and difficulties sparks feelings in Willa that she didn't know she had, and leads her to question everything she's known up until this point. 

I loved Willa's character, and I loved the way Pfeffer explored the idea of family and the dynamics of blended families. It was interesting to read the "sisters'" different perceptions of each other and of the way things were in their family.

Also Try: Any book by April Henry; See Jane Run, by Hannah Jayne; If You Find Me, by Emily Murdoch;