A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Conor's mom is slowly dying of cancer but they're both in denial about what's happening. Conor can't imagine a world without his mom, so tries to ignore it. He's haunted by a nightmare he has most nights and this night is no different.

When he wakes up, he hears something calling his name. Out in the yard, he watches as the yew tree pulls itself out of the ground and shapes itself into a being. An extremely tall being or monster. The monster wants Conor to be afraid of him, but after his nightmare, Conor doesn't find the tree fearful at all.

The monster has a strange request--Conor must listen to three of the monster's stories and then tell one of his own.

But Conor would rather face death than admit to his greatest fear...and the source of his nightmare.

Conor's pain, anger, and fear leap off the page. The monster's motives are unclear until the end of the book. Conor is a likable character who is going through a horrible experience. The illustrations throughout make the story more enjoyable and add depth to the setting.

Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac

Luke has lived his whole life being prepared for something bad to happen. His parents have run through drills and safety measures "just in case" something goes wrong.

The day after Luke has a horrible nightmare in which he meets a creature known as Grue, his dad disappears. Following the clues his dad's left behind, Luke discovers his dad has been kidnapped and it's up to him to save his life.

Luke has been training for such an occurrence most of his life; he just never expected to have to do it alone. And while he gets most of his questions answered about their strange heritage, the mark on his hand, and why electronic devices don't work for him, he's left with just one mission. Find and save his dad. At any cost.

A fascinating read, it does wander at times. Luke is a great narrator, but even he admits he gets sidetracked easily. A lot. There is page after page of action, but the back story is also well-developed. This is a great werewolf novel from a Native American point of view. Highly recommended.

Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face by Paul Acampora

Zachary and his dad move to Falls, Connecticut, to start over after Zachary's mom left.

Life in Falls, Connecticut is very different. First, they live in a house and not a trailer. Everyone knows everyone else. And then there's Rachel Spinelli. Rachel, her dad, and her brother Teddy live across the street and Rachel wants to make sure Teddy is treated nicely by Zachary and his dad. Teddy is "special" and Rachel doesn't want Zachary being mean to him. Zachary is actually happy to be friends with them both.

Nothing happens the way he expects, even when his mom shows up.

A times funny, heart-wrenching, and always enjoyable, this is a realistic story of a high school freshman settling into a new start. Highly enjoyable.

Companions of the Night by Vivan Vande Velde

Kerry is a pretty typical teenager living with her brother and father after her mother left. She's never been in any real danger before, until she enters the 24-hour laundromat and stumbles on vampire hunters and their victim.

Ethan, the vampire and victim, is badly beaten. Kerry helps him to escape, finding herself a target as well, now that she's helped Ethan. Thrown together, they must learn who has kidnapped her family and murdered Ethan's friend--before it's too late.

Fairly believable and somewhat predictable. Thrilling tale and a warm if not happy ending. Kerry doesn't actually believe Ethan's a vampire until he shows her proof, and even then, she believes he's a good guy. I knew some of what was going to happen, but not everything.