Lockdown, by Alexander Gordon Smith (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009)

Petty thief Alex’s latest heist turns tragic and life-altering when he’s interrupted by a set of mysterious men, who kill his best friend and frame him for the murder. Victim of Britain’s new zero-tolerance policy, he’s sentenced to life in … Continue reading

The Doom Machine, by Mark Teague (Blue Sky Press, 2009)

When the rapacious aliens known as Skreeps land in the sleepy town of Vern Hollow in 1956 in search of an invention which will grant them unparalleled power, it’s the start of a surreal galaxy-spanning adventure for mechanically-gifted Jack Creedle … Continue reading

Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld, (Simon Pulse, 2009)

It’s 1914, and the world is about to erupt into war. On one side, the British Darwinists, who use genetically-engineered creatures for everything from manufacturing to warfare. On the other side, the Austro-Hungarians and Germans, who prefer to use Clankers, … Continue reading

Bitter Angels, by C.L. Anderson (Bantam Spectra, 2009)

Over three decades ago, Terese Drajeske retired from the Guardians, and from the business of preventing war from threatening Earth and its far-flung colonies. The last thing she ever expected or wanted was to be recalled to active duty, but … Continue reading

Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer (Miramax/Hyperion, 2002)

Artemis Fowl is a millionaire and criminal genius, at the tender age of twelve. With his father missing and his mother ill, it’s up to him to keep the family going, and he has some distinctly unusual views on how … Continue reading

Another Heaven, Another Earth, by H.M. Hoover (Starscape, 2002)

It’s culture clash and culture shock, as two worlds collide in this Starscape reprint of Hoover’s 1981 book. It’s the far future, and mankind has taken to the stars. The spaceship Kekule is on a mission of exploration, seeking out … Continue reading

Airborn, by Kenneth Oppel (Eos, 2004)

Welcome to a world where the discovery of a special natural gas allows airships to ply their trade across the skies, facilitating trade and travel in an elegant, classic manner. Among these magnificent airships is the Aurora, a huge vessel … Continue reading

1-800-WHERE-R-YOU Series, by Meg Cabot (Simon Pulse, 2004)

Most people, when struck by lightning, end up in the hospital. Sixteen-year-old Jessica Mastriani, however, is granted a bizarre psychic ability as the result of her unfortunate accident. Now, when she sleeps, she finds missing people in her dreams, waking … Continue reading

Libyrinth, by Pearl North, (Tor Teen, 2009)

Millennia from now, the legacy of Earth lives on, in the form of two warring factions on a distant planet. In the Libyrinth, books are hoarded and protected by those who treasure literacy and knowledge. The Eradicants, who pass their … Continue reading