First up, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
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From the book jacket...
"A long dull summer stretches ahead of Macy while her boyfriend Jason is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of her father.But sometimes unexpected things can happen -- things like the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things like meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to wonder if it really is better to be safe than sorry."
Next, Help Wanted by Gary Soto
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From the book jacket...
"*Carolina
Writes to Miss Manners for help, not just with etiquette but with bigger messes in her life
*Ronnie and JoeyFeel so alienated from their world that they spend their days as "Teenage Chimps"
*Javier knows the stories his friend Veronica tells him are lies, but can't find a way to prove it…
*Adan, to his own shame and horror, watches as his dad becomes a victim of the "Raiders Nation"
*Daniel finds accidental love when a girl kisses him by mistake…
These and other teens need help if they’re ever going to decipher the weirdness of everyday life in these hilarious, heartfelt, and unflinchingly real short stories. The smallest events – a stolen flute, an idle day, a game of paintball in the wild – turn out to be about the largest of problems: figuring out what it means to be alive."
Lastly, Naughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
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From the book jacket...
"Callum is a naught, a second-class citizen in a society run by the ruling Crosses. Sephy is a cross, and
daughter of the man slated to become prime minister. In their world, white naughts and black Crosses simply don't mix -- and they certainly don't fall in love. But that's exactly what they've done.When they were younger, they played together. Now Callum and Sephy meet in secret and make excuses. But excuses no longer cut it when Sephy and her mother are nearly caught in a terrorist bombing planned by the Liberation Militia, with which Callum's family is linked. Callum's father is the prime suspect... and Sephy's father will stop at nothing to see him hanged. The blood hunt that ensues will threaten not only Callum and Sephy's love for each other, but their very lives."
