Please Ignore Vera Dietz, by A.S. King

Vera and Charlie rode the bus, roamed the woods, ate lunch, and shared secrets together. They even (secretly) loved each other. Due to "difficult" parents and a run-in with the wrong crowd they came to (publicly) hate each other. King begins with the end: Charlie has died and is being accused of a horrible crime posthumously. Vera knows who truly committed the crime and through a series of recounts, that bounce from one perspective and time to the next, we learn why she has waited so long to reveal the truth and what she has to work through emotionally to arrive at the point where it's possible for her to reveal all.

Charlie's spirit is ever-present; nagging her to clear his name and begging her to forgive him for his betrayal. He speaks through the washed up pizza delivery guy, thousands of Charlies squeeze into Vera's car, and he becomes the pickle on her Big Mac. Vera isn't sure if it's the alcohol or reality. She has loads of issues to work through: her mother leaving at the age of 11, knowing Charlie's deepest secrets, and dating an older guy. Her Dad is by her side as he unloads much of his own emotional baggage and the two finally arrive at a place where happiness is not a given, but is at least a possibility.

This book can be confusing and uncomfortable at times due to the skipping around in time, presence of spirits, and sexually related events that would be difficult for anyone to process, much less a teenager. Yet, this spastic approach finds a flow and mirrors the uncertainty that is Vera's life. 

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place, Written by Julie Berry, Narrated by Jane Entwistle

The girls of St. Etheldreda's find themselves living a game of Clue when their headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her brother, Mr. Godding, drop dead at dinner The seven girls' first thought isn't to call the authorities, but to figure out how to cover up this stroke of bad luck so they won't be sent packing back to their horrendous homes.

As girls living in Victorian Britain, they have been told what to do and how to do it every second of every day (which is reflected in the use of adjectives before each of the girls' names to "define" them). Yet, these perceived character flaws surface as strengths as each of the girls assume roles in burying the bodies, concocting a look-a-like for Mrs. Plackett to war off suspicion, figuring out the dire finances, investigating the cause of death, and uncovering the culprit.

With such diverse characters and plot twists, Berry keeps you guessing until the end. Also, I highly recommend the audiobook. Jane Entwistle has a wonderfully lush British accent that is rich with inflection and melds perfectly to each of the characters' demeanors. 

Rain Reign, by Ann M. Martin

If there's one thing Rose can't get enough of, it's homonyms. She's pleased that her own name is a homonym (Rose, Rows) and that her beloved dog's name Rain is a triple homonym (reign, rein). Rose is comforted by rules that her father, teachers, and peers don't understand. Rain and her Uncle Weldon are the only two she can count on for unconditional love.

When a devastating storm sweeps through Rose's small town, Rain goes missing and Rose must cope with a disrupted routine and searching for her dog. Her methodical approach pays off when she locates Rain at an animal shelter, but it's a bittersweet victory when she's informed by the vet that she belongs to another family based on Rain's microchip information. Rose takes Rain home, but can't help but put forth an effort to find Rain's original owners.

The culminating events will leave you heartbroken by loss, but joyful at Rose's determination to do the right thing, even if it's not the easiest. Rose doesn't match up with most other people which may explain her affinity for homonyms, as she observes that, "Most of them seem unrelated, some seem to be opposites, like soared and sword, but a few make lovely connections if you're open to changing your perspective when you think about them." Rose valiantly overcomes her own fear of change and inspires others to change for the better along the way in Martin's latest wonder of a story.

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Unstoppable Octobia May, by Sharon Flake

OctobiaMay has an uneasy feeling about Mr. Davenport, one of her Aunt Shuma's tenants, from the start. While her original hunch that he's a vampire is dashed when he steps into the sun, her suspicions are confirmed when she and her friend Jonah find a succession of murders, stolen jewels and broken promises all link back to Mr. Davenport. Though, all people don't have the same rights in 1953, Aunt Shuma has instilled the idea in her niece that change is on the horizon and she should go after what she believes in; which is exactly what she does. Despite a wealthy banker and and an Irish policeman's attempts to keep OctobiaMay from revealing that she saw Mr. Davenport murder a woman, she pushes to make sure the truth is known.

Flake not only highlights racism, but sexism, as Aunt Shuma is kept from taking out a loan simply because she doesn't have a husband and OctobiaMay is criticized for having short hair and not wearing dresses all of the time. This story is not only an intriguing mystery, but an eye-opener for many kids who can't imagine this level of discrimination.