Young Adult Growth Thrillers

 

 

 

That Time I Joined the Circus- Written by JJ Howard, published by Scholastic Inc. New York 2013. It is a well told life story of a 17 year old girl.  After her father's untimely death and a misunderstanding with her two best friends, she is forced to run away south and join a traveling circus that her mother was a part of once. This journey enriches her with a new outlook on life, and helps her discover her passion for the arts and acting. From a circus clean up crew to a fortune teller with her own act, Lexi's character develops over the course of the book, and discovers her true passion. I highly recommend this book for the dreamers living inside everyone.  

 Ship Breakers- Written by Paolo Bacigalupi, published by Little Brown and Company, New York 2010. Winner of Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. National Book Award Finalist. The action is set in a futuristic world where a teen named Nailer is a part of a teenage clan that strips old tanker ships of anything they can sell.  Nailer is forced to make a critical decision that can change his world forever. He has to decide if he will strip a ship for its wealth or save a girl who had survived the wreck. The author takes us on a roller coaster ride as our main characters try to find someone who is loyal to the girl's family. This is a page turner that will keep the reader involved from beginning to end.     

The Last Academy- Written by Anne Applegate and published by Point an imprint of Scholastic Inc. New York 2013. 14 year old Camden Fisher arrives in the Boarding School after she has fallen into a pool and almost drowned. Letbe Academy is a strange place where  students disappear without any trace, and no one seems to care. Camden begins searching for clues, to solve this mystery. This brings lots of fear into her life. Anne takes readers on a thrilling ride to a strange high school setting where everything looks perfect, but doesn't seem right. Camden finds herself barely trusting the others students. Something is not quite right here. She is plagued by odd memories, and senses something dark and terrible is brewing here. The answer will have readers stunned by what they learn. This dark, but well written book will have you at the edge of your seat.           

 

 

Drowned Cities- Written by Paolo Bacigalupi, and published by Little Brown and Company. New York 2012. In a dark future America has evolved into unending civil wars, and battles for money and power among several Warlords. Two orphans Mahlia and Mouse barely escape the war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities. The author creates a dark futuristic world that effects everyone. This journey is a combination of survival, loyalty, and a heart pounding adventure that takes our characters from a village hidden deep in the jungle to a world where soldier boys and warlords control cities. They are always fighting for more. I really enjoyed reading this book, and the story of this journey. It is a good read, but very violent and bloody. If this High violence does not disturb your teenager, please pick up a copy.