How To Ditch Your Fairy, by Justine Larbalestier (Bloomsbury, 2008)

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Unlike most places, in New Avalon, almost everyone has an invisible personal fairy to help them in some aspect of their lives. To her dismay, Charlie Steele’s fairy helps her find the perfect parking spot, which makes her popular with those who have cars, but otherwise does her no good at all. She’ll do anything to get rid of it. Unfortunately, her efforts lead to mischief, misadventures and more demerits than any student deserves. Worse still, once she succeeds in getting a new fairy, she ends up worse than before. What’s a girl to do? With its quirky plot, slightly off-kilter setting, and memorable protagonist,this is definitely a book to check out if you need a dose of humor. Thoroughly enjoyable, and deserving of more stories set in this world.

Hell Week, by Rosemary Clement-Moore (Delacorte Press, 2008)

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Daring girl reporter Maggie Quinn is back, and this time she’s going
undercover as a sorority pledge, writing a series of articles for the
Bedivere University newspaper as part of her attempt to become the
first freshman ever to get a staff position there. When she’s tapped
by the exclusive Sigma Alpha Xi sorority, she figures she’ll learn the
secret of their success. But then her psychic powers kick into
overdrive. Unable to leave a mystery well enough alone, Maggie is
quickly drawn into a web of danger, manipulation, and Evil Magic.
Will her Hell Week be literal? Combining the best parts of Buffy and
Nancy Drew, Hell Week is a fast-paced, wholly-enjoyable tale, taking
the somewhat-familiar concept of sorority/fraternity-gone-bad and
giving it new life. Score another victory for Maggie Quinn, Girl
Versus Evil.

Heck: Where The Bad Kids Go, by Dale E. Basye (Random House, 2008)

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A bizarre accident kills Marlo Fauster and her brother Milton, sending them to Heck, the horrible afterlife where they’re tormented for their sins on Earth. Their classmates are cruel, their teachers range from Lizzie Borden to Richard Nixon, the food is revolting, and the principal is truly evil. But Marlo and Milton aren’t taking the prospect of eternity in Heck lying down, and they immediately start plotting escape. But can anyone really win free of a place like this? Alternately thought-provoking and darkly comic, Heck: Where The Bad Kids Go is a whimsical, strange sort of story.

Gone, by Michael Grant (HarperTeen, 2008)

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Without warning, everyone fifteen and older vanishes from the small town of Perdido Beach, California, and everywhere else within twenty miles of the local nuclear power plant, including an exclusive prep school catering to troublesome teens. Cut off from the rest of the world by a strange energy field, the kids are left to fend for themselves and form a new society, one threatened by indecision, inexperience, and ruthless power struggles. Worse still, animals are mutating, an alien intelligence lurks in the dark, and certain kids are developing strange superhuman abilities, to be used for good, or evil. With people disappearing as they reach their fifteenth birthday, time is running out for them all, but internal fighting may destroy them first. Imaginative and captivating, Gone is a tense thriller, highly reminiscent of early Stephen King and hard to put down. I can hardly wait to see where Grant takes this storyline from here.

Genius Squad, by Catherine Jinks (Harcourt, 2008)

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Cadel Piggot’s life is once again thrown into turmoil when he’s recruited into a top-secret group dedicated to bringing down an evil organization through high-tech means. Nothing is as it seems, and trust is in short supply as Cadel does some investigating of his own, leading to a deadly showdown with the evil genius who might be his true father. A satisfying follow-up to Evil Genius, this book is full of twists and surprises, the story playing out on a number of levels.

Generation Dead, by Daniel Waters (Hyperion, 2008)

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Ever since dead American teenagers started coming back as zombies (aka the living impaired), society’s been in a state of upheaval as people work out the details of their reassimilation, with reactions ranging from loving acceptance of the deceased, to outright fear and loathing. When Phoebe falls for one of her “differently biotic” classmates, she ends up in a bizarre love triangle, and a whole mess of trouble involving the living and the dead. Thought-provoking and introspective, this is easily one of the most interesting books I’ve read all year, touching upon a host of relevant issues while still delivering a sharp, compelling story. Definitely a don’t-miss.

Vampire Academy #2: Frostbite, by Richelle Mead (Razorbill, 2008)

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As dhampir Rose Hathaway balances schoolwork and combat training in order to someday become a proper guardian for her vampiric best friend Lissa, she also struggles with her somewhat-inappropriate attraction to her tutor, Dimitri. When the vicious, amoral breed of vampires known as the Strigoi launch a daring series of attacks upon influential Moroi families, targeting Lissa among others, it’s up to Rose and other students from St. Vladimir’s to save the day and protect one another. But are they up for the task against creatures vastly more powerful than they are? Once again, Richelle Mead delivers a compelling blend of romance, action, and the supernatural, finding her own twist on the usual vampire mythos. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Flora’s Dare, by Ysabeau S. Wilce, (Harcourt, 2008)

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Still determined to become a ranger like her hero Nini Mo, Flora Segunda sets her sights towards learning the magical language of Gramatica. This leads her into a whole new series of adventures, such as fighting tentacled horrors, defying her father, falling through time, outwitting an infamous killer, and learning some of the city’s best-kept secrets … including some about her own family. With the fate of the city hinging upon whether she lives or dies, Flora’s going to have to get creative, just like a ranger would. But does she have what it takes to complete the ultimate ranger dare, and cheat death itself? Her life will never be the same, no matter how this affair turns out. The sequel to Flora Segunda, Flora’s Dare is easily one of the quirkiest, most imaginative fantasy stories to hit the shelves this season, and a thorough treat for everyone. Flora is a character with plenty of spirit, her personality shining through on every page, and this is a setting that demands even more exploration, and soon.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, by Alison Goodman (Viking, 2008)

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Eon wants nothing more than to be chosen as the next Dragoneye apprentice, one of a select few who can bond with the spirit dragons which protect the land and its people. However, Eon has a secret, one that would mean his death were it revealed: “he” is really a girl, forbidden to become a Dragoneye by ancient tradition. Against all odds, a dragon chooses Eon, thus setting into motion a series of bold political gambles and kingdom-shattering events. Can Eon discover her dragon’s true nature and name, and claim its power before all hope is lost and her deception is exposed? With a bold, memorable heroine and an epic, sweeping plot, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is an excellent read, one I couldn’t put down. It’s got adventure, mystery, swordplay, mysticism and intrigue, what more can you ask for? I can’t wait to see how this series turns out.

Dingo, by Charles de Lint (Firebird, 2008)

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Seventeen-year-old Miguel’s life is thrown into upheaval when he meets Lainey, a mysterious, gorgeous red-haired Australian girl whose family, newly arrived in town, hides a number of secrets. Unfortunately, their mutual attraction is threatened by various factors, including the curse which could claim Lainey at any time, thanks to a wayward ancestor. Miguel and an old enemy of his are drawn into a series of bizarre, magical events as they try to unravel the mysteries surrounding Lainey and her family. As always, de Lint weaves the mundane and the magical together with his traditionally elegant style, focusing on the upbeat and the positive and the magic within us all. If anything, this book is too short, as there’s plenty of room to further explore the characters and the setting, but I’m rarely disappointed by de Lint and this is certainly no exception.