Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (contains spoilers, I think...)

All's fair in love and war--and thus, it is with this overused saying, I bid farewell to possibly the best steampunk series on the shelves (#3 in Leviathan series). It doesn't take a strong soul to get through this fantastic trilogy...it takes a strong soul to see it go.

After two books full of feuds, explosions, and plenty of Clanker v. Darwinist action, Deryn's big secret is revealed. Well...make that two big secrets. We are also introduced to several new characters, the most prominent being the mad genius known as Nikola Tesla, who, in the height of the Great War, may or may not hold the key to peaces or the world's inevitable doom.

Alek and Deryn are also reunited with some old friends (or is that fiends?), complete with many new shenanigans to make you giggle, scream, and jump up and down with joy. (Okay, maybe that last one was just me.)

Westerfeld dedicates the conclusion to the Leviathan trilogy "To everyone who loves a long-secret romance; revealed at last." I, myself, am not a fan of those, but even cold-hearted robot child me had a massive "Aww" moment at the end. Scott Westerfeld is an evil genius, and has managed to bring the nail-biting, action-stuffed trilogy to a graceful and satisfying ending, tied with the neat bow of Keith Thompson's intricately beautiful illustrations, sans all the clart* that YA fiction has seen in many best-selling finales. (*cough*Mockingjay*cough*Breaking Dawn*cough*).

Goliath made me stupidly wish that the war had lasted longer. Give me one more book; as if he could improve upon an already flawless series. *see book for details.

Behemoth (Leviathan #2) by Scott Westerfeld

Alek, heir to the Austrian empire, and Deryn (or Midshipman Dylan Sharpe) are living aboard the Darwinist airship Leviathan, attending to missions in the hopes of ending the war. But soon, those hopes are dashed when disaster strikes the Leviathan and her peacekeeping mission. Flying under the radar and being hunted in enemy territory, Alek and Deryn will need to seek the help of unlikely allies and newfound bravery to face what's ahead.

"Steampunk" is a fantastic new genre that's still in its infancy (not as big as stupid vampires yet). But with the help of master sci-fi author Scott Westerfeld, hopefully the world will finally move on to a genre that deserves recognition. Leviathan was a breath-taking, action-packed whirlwind of a premier book for Westerfeld's trilogy of alternate history. And sometimes (not always, of course) the action-packed whirlwind of awesomeness dies down to a yawn-inducing abyss of BORING! in the second book of a series. But thankfully, and not to my surprise, Behemoth is just as good as its big brother, if not better.

Westerfeld presents more in-depth conversations between the characters, endearing them to you even more. Westerfeld's incomparable poetry accompanied by Keith Thompson's mind-bogglingly detailes art makes for a expertly woven tapestry of alternate history to World War I. Behemoth does not disappoint, and leaves you wanting more days after you finish. Now I just have to wait another year for the final book....

The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni

Sbeastian Pendergast has lived in a geodesic dome with his grandmother his whole life under the teachings of futurist philosopher Buckminster Fuller. It's not until his grandmother has a heart attack does Sebastian finally get to experience the real world. Jared Whitcomb is a chain-smoking, fiendish, punk music enthusiast teenager recovering from a heart transplant. And he's Sebastian's new best friend.

In this hilariously original coming-of-age story Jared mentors Sebastian in the ways of the world, grilled cheese with ketchup and grape soda, Sid Vicious ("He was framed!" argues Jared) and all the best punk music. Filled to the brim with tongue-in-cheek humor, The House of Tomorrow will have you rocking out until the very last page.

I Am Number Four by Pittancy Lore.

John is Number Four of Nine aliens that hail from the planet Lorien. On the run with his guardian, Henri, they move from town to town, always on the lookout for the ferocious Mogodorians, the vicious monsters who destroyed their home planet. Life is quiet in their new home of Paradise, Ohio, until they suspect Mogodorians have landed on Earth – to take over, just as they did Lorien.

I Am Number Four is a non-stop thrill-ride of alien antics. I just couldn’t put the book down. All of the characters are intriguing and endearing, even Bernie Kosar, John’s adoptive basset hound. Full of action, horrific monsters from other worlds, and typical teenage tricks, it also delivers a deep commentary on living life as a teenager which, for me at least, feels like you’re from another planet. I cannot wait for the sequel.

Going Bovine is a fantastic look into the deteriorating mind of one high school boy, Cameron Smith, who has contracted Krutzfeld-Jakob disease -- or "Mad Cow" disease.

When a punk angel with pink fishnets named Dulcie visits poor Cameron in the hospital telling him of a Dr. X who may have a cure, he is reluctant at first but willing to do anything to live.

You'll cry, get irritated, and laugh until your sides split as Cameron travels across the country with a germophobic midget and a yard gnome who is really a Norse god. Libba Bray weaves a hilarious, poignant, and beautiful web that makes you think about life and makes you really want to live it.

Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins

The girl on fire, Katniss Everdeen, is alive. For now. Her home in District 12 is destroyed, best friend Gale missing, and ally in the arena Peeta is being held captive by the Capitol while she plans to head the rebellion against Panem in the heart of the mysterious District 13. The success of the revolt depends on Katniss and her willingness to be a helpless pawn all for the future of Panem. She has no choice but to be District 13's Mockingjay...no matter the cost.

I had such high hopes for the long-anticipated finale to what I think is one of the best YA trilogies of all time. Suzanne Collins stunned me with an action-packed beginning to what promised to be a great series in The Hunger Games. She left me drooling for more and gnawing at my fingernails after I finally put down Catching Fire. As soon as the sky-blue treasure was placed in my eager hands, I dove into the pages of Mockingjay.

It started out just fine and...well, that's just it. It was just 'fine', and nothing else. Towards the middle, the action picked up speed, but not by much. Katniss' inner dialogue is usually so gripping, so contriversial, so heart-wrenching and compelling. In Mockingjay, it's just...question after question, with no answer in sight. But still, I persisted. I was determined. And then, just like that, I was done. And I thought to myself That's it? That's the end? It seems to me that Suzanne Collins -to put it bluntly- just gave up. It seems she came down with a massive case of 'J.K. Rowling-itis'. She decided to kill character after character that didn't need to be killed. She made Katniss into a self-loathing cry-baby at the tip of a love triangle. And then made the mistake of writing an unnecessary epilogue that left me wondering "What's the point?!"

Out of five stars, I give Mockingjay a generous 3. I don't usually recommend walking right into disappointment, but die-hard HUNGER fans will have to judge for themselves whether or not Katniss, girl on fire, snuffed out the flame that so captured our attention in the first two books.

Return the Heart by T.K. Richardson

Lilly Paige has the power to look into a person's heart and know their true self. Her life is rather quiet, until she moves in with her aunt and uncle, and is transferred to a school for the gifted where she meets the four people that will change her life forever.

Return the Heart is a wonderfully written and original tale that's poignant and sweet, and packed with plenty of action that keeps the story rolling along. Despite an almost Bella-Edward relationship between Lilly and Seth, all the characters are unique and endearing; even the powerful Russian family known as the Kutuzovs are charming in their own way. Built around an ancient Russian prophecy, Return the Heart is a great read that leaves you hooked until the very end.

Fat Vampire

Step aside Edward Cullen, there's a new vampire in town!

Doug Lee is a fat nerd turned vampire. While struggling with high school, friendship, and girls, he tries to make sense of the new bloodthirsty life he has been given. It's side-splitting hilarious, original, thought-provoking, and even if it wasn't the word that Adam Rex was hoping for, it's adorable.

This teen look at vampires eliminates the "OH WE'RE ALL BEAUTIFUL AND SPARKLY AND NOT SOCIALLY AWKWARD AT ALL" stereotype that everyone seems to believe.

Forget "Team Edward", Stephenia Meyer, TrueBlood...heck, forget Dracula!  I'm Team DOUG.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White          released Sept 21, 2010

Evie is sixteen and working for the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency), and the only known being with the ability to see through the glamours of the paranormals she is sent to find. All is as normal as it can be, until she finds she may be part of an ancient faerie prophecy. While trying to fend off her possessive ex-faerie-boyfriend and all the while falling for a mysterious and charming shape-shifter, Evie must hunt down what is killing the paranormals the IPCA fights so hard to protect. In this, she discovers the dark secrets lurking in her past, the evil behind the do-gooder façade of the IPCA, and what hides within herself. Think Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Holly Black’s Modern Faerie series meets The X-Files.

Paranormalcy is a bewitching tale full of memorable mortals, pretty paranormals, and freaky faeries. Evie is your average teenager, but somehow also as far from average as you can get; Reth is terrifying, but seductive at the same time; and Lend is every girl’s dream. Who wouldn’t want a dreamy and artistic shape-shifter boyfriend? Paranormalcy kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, and if the female portion of the world of young adult readers has any sense at all, it will be the next Twilight. I haven’t seen a plot this original and engaging in a long time. To put it bluntly, in Evie’s words, it’s bleeping awesome.

The Devouring (The Devouring #1) by Simon Holt.

Reggie, a horror fanatic, is intrigued when she finds a journal that catalogues the legend of the Vours, supernatural creatures that feed on the fear of humans and attack the weak souls of the frightened on the winter solstice. She is simply intrigued by the ramblings of the journal, until the nightmares become a reality when she suspects of her little brother Henry of being a Vour.

The Devouring is a bone-chilling tale of horror that leaves you chilled far after you close the book. The vaporous villains known as the Vours, along with all the other living nightmares that haunt the cowering characters, make you want to go to bed with the lights on, and the covers over your head. Reggie is amazingly brave, and her best friend Aaron is the perfect foil for her. It is, by far, the most original ghost story I have read in a long time that teaches you to be strong and face your fears. I will not be able to wait [patiently] to purchase the sequel. If you like a good scare, with memorable one-liners from the protagonists, you will most certainly devour The Devouring.

Matched by Ally Condie.

Cassia lives in a future world known as the Society where Officials monitor your life. They decide who you love, your career, even your death. Cassia has been happy living in the Society, and has never questioned the decisions of the Officials that have made her life what it is...until an incident occurs after her Matching that changes everything.

Matched, though a bit slow at the beginning, is an enthralling contribution to the Dystopian world of YA fiction. Fans of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series will be eager to sink their teeth into this thrilling tale of a frighteningly possible future.

Hero Type by Barry Lyga

Kevin is a normal teenage guy ... until he saves Leah Muldoon from a grisly murder. He is regarded as a hero by the whole town, until he is seen removing two "Support Our Troops" stickers from the car given to him by the mayor. His small town turns against him for being unpatriotic and his title as 'hero' swiftly changes.

Being a Barry Lyga fan already, I was happy to read this book. I didn't think that I could love this author even more...until I read Hero Type. It takes a look at regular high school life in a small town that is both hilarious and poginant, while also addressing what real patriotism means...and the lengths to which one person will go to show their patriotism and demonstrate the absolute power of free speech. Hero Type is an amazing book that makes you think, leaves you wanting more, and packs a wild punch of patriotism.