The first ten lies they tell you in high school."Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party...and to begin to heal from it.
If you liked Speak, try. . .
Twisted, Anderson. After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, 17-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl. However, when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.
Because I am Furniture, Chaltas. The youngest of three siblings, fourteen-year-old Anke feels both relieved and neglected that her father abuses her brother and sister but ignores her, but when she catches him with one of her friends, she finally becomes angry enough to take action.
Hush, Chayil. After remembering the cause of her best friend Devory's suicide at age nine, Gittel is determined to raise awareness of sexual abuse in her Borough Park, New York, community, despite the rules of Chassidim that require her to be silent.
Many Stones, Coman. After her sister Laura is murdered in South Africa, Berry and her estranged father travel there to participate in the dedication of a memorial in her name.
Splintering, Corrigan. Relates, in a series of poems written from different perspectives, the events and aftereffects of an intruder’s violent attack on a family.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Crutcher. Sarah Byrnes and Eric have been friends for years. When they were children, his fat and her terrible scars made them both outcasts. Later, although swimming slimmed Eric, she stayed his closest friend. Now Sarah Byrnes -- the smartest, toughest person Eric has ever known -- sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she's hiding, before its dark currents pull them both under.
Just Listen, Dessen. Isolated from friends who believe the worst because she has not been truthful with them, 16-year-old Annabel finds an ally in classmate Owen, whose honesty and passion for music help her to face and share what really happened at the end-of-the-year party that changed her life.
You Against Me, Downham. If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge. If your brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him. When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the offense, her world begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. This is a brave and unflinching novel about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all, it's a book about love.
Darkness before Dawn, Draper. In her senior year, things are finally looking a little brighter for Keisha. Still haunted by the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, Andy, she finds comfort in the attentions of the new track coach, twenty-three-year-old Jonathan Hathaway, the principal's son. How can Keisha not be swept off her feet by a tall, dark, handsome "lemon drop wrapped in licorice" who treats her like a woman, not a girl? But suddenly this intoxicating relationship takes a frightening turn, and Keisha is once again plunged into the darkness she's fought so hard to escape. Will Keisha ever be able to find her way back into the light?
Please Ignore Vera Dietz, King. When her best friend, whom she secretly loves, betrays her and then dies under mysterious circumstances, high school senior Vera Dietz struggles with secrets that could help clear his name.
Silent to the Bone, Konigsburg. Thirteen-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech after being wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth of what happened.
Raiders Night, Lipsyte. Matt Rydeck, co-captain of his high school football team, endures a traumatic season as he witnesses the rape of a rookie player by teammates and grapples with his own use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Inexcusable, Lynch. High school senior and football player Keir sets out to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort a friend whose date left her stranded, things go terribly wrong.
Sold, McCormick. Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her poor mountain home in Nepal thinking that she is to work in the city as a maid only to find that she has been sold into the sex slave trade in India and that there is no hope of escape.
Living Dead Girl, Scott. Alice, a fifteen-year-old girl who was abducted by Ray when she was ten, lives in fear of what he is going to do to her and hopes death will save her from the nightmare.
The Rules of Survival, Werlin. Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother.
The Mockingbirds, Whitney. When Alex, a junior at an elite preparatory school, realizes that she may have been the victim of date rape, she confides in her roommates and sister who convince her to seek help from a secret society, the Mockingbirds.
Story of a Girl, Zarr. During the summer after her sophomore year, Deanna tries to come to terms with the reputation with which she has been strapped in the eighth grade when she was caught my her father in the backseat of a car with a high-school senior, and struggles with her still-strained relationship with her father and her changing feelings for her best friend Jason.
Black Mirror, Werlin. Convinced her brother's death was murder rather than suicide, sixteen-year-old Frances begins her own investigation into suspicious student activities at her boarding school.
Stop Pretending, Sones. A younger sister has a difficult time adjusting to life after her older sister has a mental breakdown.
Dancing on the Edge, Nolan. A young girl from a dysfunctional family creates for herself an alternative world which nearly results in her death but which ultimately leads her to reality.
Reality Boy, King. An emotionally damaged seventeen-year-old boy in Pennsylvania who was once an infamous reality television show star, meets a girl from another dysfunctional family, and she helps him out of his angry shell.
When We Wuz Famous, Takoudes. A murder investigation reunites Francisco, Reignbow, and Vincent--a year after Francisco's departure from Spanish Harlem tore them apart.
Period 8, Crutcher. Period 8 has always been a safe haven and high school senior Paulie "The Bomb" Baum a constant attendee, but as Paulie, Hannah, their friends, and a sympathetic teacher try to unravel the mystery of a missing classmate, the ultimate bully takes aim at the school.
The Tragedy Paper, LaBan. While preparing for the most dreaded assignment at the prestigious Irving School, the Tragedy Paper, Duncan gets wrapped up in the tragic tale of Tim Macbeth, a former student who had a clandestine relationship with the wrong girl, and his own ill-fated romance with Daisy.
Peanut, Halliday. Nervous about starting her sophomore year at a new high school, Sadie decides to make herself more interesting by claiming to be allergic to peanuts, but her lie quickly spirals out of control.
The Difference Between You and Me, George. School outsider Jesse, a lesbian, is having secret trysts with Emily, the popular student council vice president, but when they find themselves on opposite sides of a major issue and Jesse becomes more involved with a student activist, they are forced to make a difficult decision.
Ask the Passengers, King. Astrid Jones copes with her small town's gossip and narrow-mindedness by staring at the sky and imagining that she's sending love to the passengers in the airplanes flying high over her backyard. Maybe they'll know what to do with it. Maybe it'll make them happy. Maybe they'll need it. Her mother doesn't want it, her father's always stoned, her perfect sister's too busy trying to fit in, and the people in her small town would never allow her to love the person she really wants to: another girl named Dee. There's no one Astrid feels she can talk to about this deep secret or the profound questions that she's trying to answer. But little does she know just how much sending her love--and asking the right questions--will affect the passengers' lives, and her own, for the better.
Sean Griswold’s Head, Leavitt. After discovering that her father has multiple sclerosis, fifteen-year-old Payton begins counseling sessions at school, which lead her to become interested in a boy in her biology class, have a falling out with her best friend, develop an interest in bike riding, and eventually allow her to come to terms with life's uncertainties.
Through Her Eyes, Archer. Sixteen-year-old Tansy is used to moving every time her mother starts writing a new book, but in the small Texas town where her grandfather grew up, she is lured into the world of a troubled young man whose death sixty years earlier is shrouded in mystery.
If you liked Speak, try. . .
Twisted, Anderson. After finally getting noticed by someone other than school bullies and his ever-angry father, 17-year-old Tyler enjoys his tough new reputation and the attentions of a popular girl. However, when life starts to go bad again, he must choose between transforming himself or giving in to his destructive thoughts.
Because I am Furniture, Chaltas. The youngest of three siblings, fourteen-year-old Anke feels both relieved and neglected that her father abuses her brother and sister but ignores her, but when she catches him with one of her friends, she finally becomes angry enough to take action.
Hush, Chayil. After remembering the cause of her best friend Devory's suicide at age nine, Gittel is determined to raise awareness of sexual abuse in her Borough Park, New York, community, despite the rules of Chassidim that require her to be silent.
Many Stones, Coman. After her sister Laura is murdered in South Africa, Berry and her estranged father travel there to participate in the dedication of a memorial in her name.
Splintering, Corrigan. Relates, in a series of poems written from different perspectives, the events and aftereffects of an intruder’s violent attack on a family.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Crutcher. Sarah Byrnes and Eric have been friends for years. When they were children, his fat and her terrible scars made them both outcasts. Later, although swimming slimmed Eric, she stayed his closest friend. Now Sarah Byrnes -- the smartest, toughest person Eric has ever known -- sits silent in a hospital. Eric must uncover the terrible secret she's hiding, before its dark currents pull them both under.
Just Listen, Dessen. Isolated from friends who believe the worst because she has not been truthful with them, 16-year-old Annabel finds an ally in classmate Owen, whose honesty and passion for music help her to face and share what really happened at the end-of-the-year party that changed her life.
You Against Me, Downham. If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge. If your brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him. When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the offense, her world begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. This is a brave and unflinching novel about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all, it's a book about love.
Darkness before Dawn, Draper. In her senior year, things are finally looking a little brighter for Keisha. Still haunted by the suicide of her ex-boyfriend, Andy, she finds comfort in the attentions of the new track coach, twenty-three-year-old Jonathan Hathaway, the principal's son. How can Keisha not be swept off her feet by a tall, dark, handsome "lemon drop wrapped in licorice" who treats her like a woman, not a girl? But suddenly this intoxicating relationship takes a frightening turn, and Keisha is once again plunged into the darkness she's fought so hard to escape. Will Keisha ever be able to find her way back into the light?
Please Ignore Vera Dietz, King. When her best friend, whom she secretly loves, betrays her and then dies under mysterious circumstances, high school senior Vera Dietz struggles with secrets that could help clear his name.
Silent to the Bone, Konigsburg. Thirteen-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech after being wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth of what happened.
Raiders Night, Lipsyte. Matt Rydeck, co-captain of his high school football team, endures a traumatic season as he witnesses the rape of a rookie player by teammates and grapples with his own use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Inexcusable, Lynch. High school senior and football player Keir sets out to enjoy himself on graduation night, but when he attempts to comfort a friend whose date left her stranded, things go terribly wrong.
Sold, McCormick. Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her poor mountain home in Nepal thinking that she is to work in the city as a maid only to find that she has been sold into the sex slave trade in India and that there is no hope of escape.
Living Dead Girl, Scott. Alice, a fifteen-year-old girl who was abducted by Ray when she was ten, lives in fear of what he is going to do to her and hopes death will save her from the nightmare.
The Rules of Survival, Werlin. Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother.
The Mockingbirds, Whitney. When Alex, a junior at an elite preparatory school, realizes that she may have been the victim of date rape, she confides in her roommates and sister who convince her to seek help from a secret society, the Mockingbirds.
Story of a Girl, Zarr. During the summer after her sophomore year, Deanna tries to come to terms with the reputation with which she has been strapped in the eighth grade when she was caught my her father in the backseat of a car with a high-school senior, and struggles with her still-strained relationship with her father and her changing feelings for her best friend Jason.
Black Mirror, Werlin. Convinced her brother's death was murder rather than suicide, sixteen-year-old Frances begins her own investigation into suspicious student activities at her boarding school.
Stop Pretending, Sones. A younger sister has a difficult time adjusting to life after her older sister has a mental breakdown.
Dancing on the Edge, Nolan. A young girl from a dysfunctional family creates for herself an alternative world which nearly results in her death but which ultimately leads her to reality.
Reality Boy, King. An emotionally damaged seventeen-year-old boy in Pennsylvania who was once an infamous reality television show star, meets a girl from another dysfunctional family, and she helps him out of his angry shell.
When We Wuz Famous, Takoudes. A murder investigation reunites Francisco, Reignbow, and Vincent--a year after Francisco's departure from Spanish Harlem tore them apart.
Period 8, Crutcher. Period 8 has always been a safe haven and high school senior Paulie "The Bomb" Baum a constant attendee, but as Paulie, Hannah, their friends, and a sympathetic teacher try to unravel the mystery of a missing classmate, the ultimate bully takes aim at the school.
The Tragedy Paper, LaBan. While preparing for the most dreaded assignment at the prestigious Irving School, the Tragedy Paper, Duncan gets wrapped up in the tragic tale of Tim Macbeth, a former student who had a clandestine relationship with the wrong girl, and his own ill-fated romance with Daisy.
Peanut, Halliday. Nervous about starting her sophomore year at a new high school, Sadie decides to make herself more interesting by claiming to be allergic to peanuts, but her lie quickly spirals out of control.
The Difference Between You and Me, George. School outsider Jesse, a lesbian, is having secret trysts with Emily, the popular student council vice president, but when they find themselves on opposite sides of a major issue and Jesse becomes more involved with a student activist, they are forced to make a difficult decision.
Ask the Passengers, King. Astrid Jones copes with her small town's gossip and narrow-mindedness by staring at the sky and imagining that she's sending love to the passengers in the airplanes flying high over her backyard. Maybe they'll know what to do with it. Maybe it'll make them happy. Maybe they'll need it. Her mother doesn't want it, her father's always stoned, her perfect sister's too busy trying to fit in, and the people in her small town would never allow her to love the person she really wants to: another girl named Dee. There's no one Astrid feels she can talk to about this deep secret or the profound questions that she's trying to answer. But little does she know just how much sending her love--and asking the right questions--will affect the passengers' lives, and her own, for the better.
Sean Griswold’s Head, Leavitt. After discovering that her father has multiple sclerosis, fifteen-year-old Payton begins counseling sessions at school, which lead her to become interested in a boy in her biology class, have a falling out with her best friend, develop an interest in bike riding, and eventually allow her to come to terms with life's uncertainties.
Through Her Eyes, Archer. Sixteen-year-old Tansy is used to moving every time her mother starts writing a new book, but in the small Texas town where her grandfather grew up, she is lured into the world of a troubled young man whose death sixty years earlier is shrouded in mystery.