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In this collection of verse inspired by the author's own experiences, Jacqueline Woodson offers a vivid, arresting glimpse into an African American child's life in the post-segregation south that will touch readers of all ages.
Jo Montfort is young, beautiful and very, very rich. On her horizon is a life of privileged domesticity at the end of a simple path: Jo will complete finishing school and then, of course, be married off to a similarly eligible bachelor. But Jo dreams in bolder colors: Secretly, she aspires to become an investigative journalist like the famous Nellie Bly. It's a life that seems unattainable. But when her wealthy socialite father dies under suspicious circumstances, Jo realizes that she's the only one willing to discover the truth – and soon discovers that unmasking wrongdoing is a far more dangerous, and ugly, job than she ever imagined.
Summer Barnes is the privileged heir to a large fortune. Unfortunately, standing in the way of her inheritance is Summer's worst enemy: herself. Summer's substance abuse has led to four boarding school expulsions, leaving the troubled teen only one more chance to complete high school in time to meet the terms of her estate. To that end, Summer has come to Paris to finish out high school and put the past behind her. And what better way to open a new chapter in life than with a new romance? Summer is convinced that the right guy can fix all of her problems. But Summer is about to discover that love offers no easy fixes for a broken life. To make a new start in the City of Light, Summer Barnes will have to confront some dark shadows.
Colleen Rowley is in the thick of her senior year at St. Joan's Academy, navigating her way, as best she can, through its gauntlet of social drama, academic competition and college application stress. It's a lot of pressure, but also a challenge that the elite students of St. Joan's have been prepared to face. But something much worse than senior blues is about to darken the atmosphere of St. Joan's this year. One by one, and then several at a time, Colleen's friends begin to suffer frightening mental breakdowns. The sheer scale of the problem quickly embroils St. Joan's in a media frenzy. The answer to the crisis seems unfathomable, but the truth may be more terrifying than the mystery: For as only Colleen has discovered, all of this has happened before, and St. Joan's may be reliving one of the enduring nightmares of American history.
For turn-of-the-century teen Amanda Verner, the shame and guilt of an unplanned pregnancy would be enough of a burden. Never mind that even under the happiest circumstances, her father's decision to move the family to a new–and remote–cabin would be sure to bring its own challenges. But darker and far more uncanny trials will soon have Amanda and her family in their grip. Strange visions and ominous portents suggest that their new home will be anything but a refuge. As sinister forces gather, Amanda's most urgent struggle may not be for forgiveness, but survival.
Stephanie Starr has just begun her senior year in high school, and there's little sign her last year in high school will any less awkward than her first. Stephanie's overbearing and conservative mother has tried to control every aspect of her daughter's life, leaving Stephanie short on confidence and socially marginalized. When one of the popular boys, Haley Smith, takes an interest in her, Stephanie initially writes it off as a cruel prank. But Haley's ardor proves genuine–and soon takes on an alarming intensity that has everyone at school talking. Meanwhile, Stephanie's mother begins to undergo a disturbing mental deterioration. All this would be enough for any teen to contend with, but Stephanie is about to discover that the recent chaos in her life has a common source–one closer, and far more fantastic, than she could have imagined.
For seventeen-year-old Cara, bad luck isn't just a family trait–it's a curse, and one that strikes with an eerie precision. Like clockwork, each and every October Cara's family suffers a monthlong bout of seemingly inexplicable misfortune–accidents that are usually frustrating, but occasionally life-threatening or even fatal. For years, Cara could only wonder at the source of her awful legacy. Now, she's about to discover that the greatest misfortune may be discovering the truth behind the "Accident Season."
Teen sisters Tippi and Grace share almost everything. Their bond is far more than figurative, because Tippi and Grace are conjoined twins. But after a lifetime of being voluntarily joined together, medical necessity is forcing Tippi and Grace to finally confront the prospect of separation–and, potentially, losing one another forever.
Chronically depressed and socially isolated by the stigma of her father's own dark past, sixteen year old Aysel Seran can't imagine a future worth living. And when life itself is the problem, what answer is there but suicide? To make sure she has the courage of her convictions, Aysel has entered a suicide pact with Roman, another troubled teen. It's a strange but powerful bond–and, as it deepens, one that begins to make Aysel question inevitable emptiness of her own existence.
Charlie is in her last year of high school. She's right on the threshold of adulthood, but still dealing with the baggage of being a quiet, introverted kid. A bright spot in Charlie's life is her work with Mr. Drummond–a new english teacher, the mentor of the school newspaper, and Charlie's major crush. In Mr. Drummond, Charlie finally seems to have found a kindred spirit. But as Charlie's relationship with Mr. Drummond deepens, her feelings also threaten to take her across a boundary she may be unwise to cross.
Jam Gallahue has already spent a year grieving the death of her first love when she arrives at a boarding school in Vermont for emotionally troubled teens. She could hardly imagine that the school, its students or its teachers could help fill the void in her life. But Jam's Special Topics in English class is about to give her a powerful–and magical–lesson in the transformative and healing power of writing.
Every night, Khalid, the young Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride. And at every sunrise, a new family has lost a daughter. After sixteen-year-old Shahrzad loses her dearest friend to the Caliph's murderous fancies, she plots revenge. To that end, she volunteers to marry the very man who took her best friend's life. Through her resourcefulness and intelligence, Shahrzad will become the first of the Caliph's brides to see another night. But she never counted on falling in love with the man responsible for so much anguish. Could the demon Caliph be something more than a monster? And if so, what darker intrigues lie behind his many victims?
