Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

In this apocalyptic world where zombies inhabit most of the area, Benny, who lives in a protected area, approaches his 15th birthday when he must find a job or forfeit half of his food rations. After losing half a dozen jobs, he reluctantly agrees to work as his brother’s apprentice in the “Family Business.” When the brothers travel beyond the fences into the Rot and Ruin, he witnesses things that change his opinion of his brother and forever alter his perception of the world.

Hold on tight! Rot & Ruin is a thriller with lots of action, zombies, and food for thought.
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Rot-Ruin/Jonathan-Maberry/9781442402324

Leona

Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers’ Lockdown is an edgy, realistic story about Reese, a young man serving time at a juvenile detention facility for stealing prescription drug pads and selling them to a drug dealer. Reese tries to serve his time and stay out of trouble, but his inability to control his temper and his fights with other inmates keep making things worse for him. Despite these problems, Reese is allowed to participate in a work program at a nursing home where he meets an elderly resident named Mr. Hooft. Their relationship starts off on shaky ground but they eventually realize they have things to learn from each other. Lockdown is another gritty and engaging novel from the author of Monster and Fallen Angels.


John

Steampunk Favorites

Steampunk is a dark genre typically set in Victorian England with anachronistic machines that are not within historical or chronological order. The punk side of all of us rejects the Victorain straight-laced attitudes. See if you are part of the growing Steampunk generation.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Airman by Eoin Colfer

Foundling by D. M. Cornish

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Clockwork: Or all Wound Up by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve

The Death Collector by Justin Richards

The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade

Leviathan and also Behemouth by Scott Westerfeld

Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding

For more about the Steampunk genre go to :  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Ten years ago, nine children fled the war-torn planet Lorien and landed on Earth along with their adult teachers. The plan is to raise each child on earth until they develop their special powers called Legacies which help them fight the evil Mogadarians. The Nine children, protected and living on different continents can only be killed in order—and Number Three has just been murdered. That leaves Number Four: John Smith. At least, that's his latest alias, as he and his guardian, Henri, flee to another new town. John tries to lead a quiet life, but encounters bullies, falls in love, and begins to mature into his special powers.

If you like SciFi with an earthly spin, you'll like I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.
http://iamnumberfourfans.com/

Leona

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

The near future looks pretty grim in Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. Nailer, a teen who salvages scrap metal from shipwrecks along the Gulf of Mexico, finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage. He has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.     

Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill

If you like classic Sci-fi, complete with life in space and fantastic machines, this book will intrigue you. Durango is sixteen and lives on the planet Mars where he is hired by the settlers of a mining community to protect their most valuable resource from marauders. What I didn't expect and was delighted to find was the quirky, sarcastic humor. Read Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill for a good laugh. Don't take the voices in your head too seriously!

Leona