Run by Daisy Whitney at daisywhitney.com

Note: I first ran this review in September and am re-running it because this book releases today.

You think vampires that want to kill you in high school are scary? Or maybe werewolves who could rip your throat out?

They’re cotton candy compared to the high school in Courtney Summers “Some Girls Are,” the January 2010 follow-up to her well-received debut “Cracked up to Be.”

No, there’s nothing like the high school hell she makes her characters endure in “Some Girls Are.”

Even standard high school misery, like clueless teachers, cliques and gym are kittens next to Hallowell High, where the Fearsome Fivesome roam the halls. This girl bully gang loves to hate — they devise cruel tricks and horribly mean pranks in a game of chess with other students as the pawns. Their targets have no recourse, nowhere to go. They become nothing when the quintet is through with them.

Regina Afton is part of this crew. Until she’s kicked out for something she didn’t do. Now, she can’t duck fast enough because they’re pulling out all the stops as the four remaining members seek to destroy her. She hides out in the storage room, in the washrooms, with the so-called “losers,” but even they don’t really want a mean girl hanging with them. Because, can a Grade-A Henchwoman really change her stripes?

That is exactly what Regina desperately wants to do in this story — put her past as a very bad girl behind her — only she has to battle the now Fearsome Foursome, their toady boyfriends who do their dirty work, and worst of all, her own self doubts about whether she can be brave enough. The one bright spot is a loner boy who comes to see the good that is still inside her.

“Some Girls Are” is about what it means to be good, what it means to be bad, what it means to change. It’s about how to stand up and how to forgive and, especially, what not to do. It’s about — like the “Kiterunner” — “how to be good again.”

If you’ve talked to me about books for more than two minutes, you’ve certainly heard me mention Courtney Summers and “Cracked up to Be.” It is one of my favorite books of all time and also inspired me to switch genres from women’s fiction to young adult. Naturally, I was nervous reading “Some Girls Are,” hoping it would stand up to its predecessor. I can’t believe I’m saying this but “Some Girls Are” is even better. I was gripped with fear, anticipation, and intense, white-knuckling nerves during the second half of this book, wondering how on earth Courtney would possibly pull of a satisfying ending after she’d tortured her characters.

I won’t spoil the ending, though. You will need to read to find out! The countdown begins to the book’s January release date!

Welcome to special correspondent and young adult author Courtney Summers who’s reviewing “Dani Noir” for us!

By Courtney Summers

DANI NOIR is a sharp look at the life of 13-year-old film noir buff (and big Rita Hayworth fan), Dani Callanzano, during a pretty tough summer. Her parents have divorced, she’s angry at her father, her mom still hasn’t gotten over it, and her soon-to-be stepsister is a nightmare. The only place Dani can find a little peace of mind is at the Little Art movie theatre… but not for long. When a girl with polka-dot tights shows up, Dani finds herself with a full-blown mystery on her hands and if she doesn’t solve it–and soon–someone she really cares about could be hurt.

This is an incredible debut by Nova Ren Suma and Dani Callanzano is one of the most memorable protagonists I’ve ever read. A total snarky delight from start-to-finish. With a very thoughtful and caring hand, Suma explores Dani’s world candidly and honestly and the narrative is charming, hilarious and heartbreaking all at once. On one page, I would laugh out loud at one of Dani’s zingers and the next, my heart would ache at Dani’s vulnerability and need to find balance and control in the way you need to find balance and control when things are changing around you in really difficult ways. And it’s a page turner, too. Once I started, I only stopped once–and that was to make POPCORN. The movie theatre scenes are so well drawn–I COULD SMELL THE POPCORN!–it was impossible to resist. And so I highly recommend making popcorn when you pick this book up because it will complete the experience.

The whole time I was reading DANI NOIR, I wished fervently that I’d had Dani as a fictional companion when I was her age. I remember the books I carried around then like lifelines, and I know that had DANI NOIR been on shelves, I would’ve toted it everywhere. I would have aspired to Dani’s cleverness, her wit, her charm, her sense of adventure and I know that Dani’s razor-sharp outlook would have made me feel less alone. I can just imagine how many girls out there will benefit from reading a novel like this, which is why DANI NOIR gets all five stars from me. This is not just the kind of book you read and enjoy in the moment, it’s the kind of book you treasure and love and pass along. So do that. Don’t you dare miss this one.

-Courtney Summers is the author of CRACKED TO TO BE.

I’m not sure how this happened, but somehow in the nine-month history of this blog I have neglected to review/recommend one of my absolute favorite books of all time. Shame on me.

But I am prepared to rectify that mistake today. So here goes.

Courtney Summers‘ debut novel “Cracked up to Be” is the reason I became a YA author. Her novel released in December 2008, but I wheedled an advance copy out of her way back in August 2008 and I devoured it. We are talking a-can’t-put-down-mystery.

“Cracked up to Be” is the story of Parker Fadley, the most popular girl in school who also happens to harbor a horrible secret. Something very bad happened and it just might be her fault. So she does what any good cheerleader would do — quits the squad, ditches school and starts failing. It’s her punishment, the one she imposes on herself. She can’t talk about what happened, she certainly can’t fix it. Self-loathing is her solution, sarcasm her shield. That’s how she deals. But pushing people away isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and there’s still maybe just a tiny sliver of hope left in Parker — hope that she can be redeemed.

What is so special about this book is the voice of Parker, the writing style and a very clever device Courtney employs. The reader doesn’t know until the end what Parker did and why she hates herself. That backstory unfolds in pieces throughout the novel and it’s what will keep you turning pages.

I’m also thrilled to report that I snagged ANOTHER sneak peek at a Courtney Summers novel. I just finished reading her second book “Some Girls Are,” slated for a January release. I’ll publish a full and proper review later this fall, but I will leave you with two teasers:

There is no sophomore slump for Courtney, but rather a sophomore streak

Once again, Courtney forbids her main character from owning a cell phone.

I’ve read all the Harry Potter books, I’ve read the Twilight series, but I don’t know that I’d buy every single book written by J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer. I haven’t read Meyer’s “The Host” and I haven’t read Rowling’s “Tales of Beedle the Bard.” But I do buy and read every single book Emily Giffin writes. I fell in love with her debut novel “Something Borrowed” back in 2004 when it was released and since then I’ve known the release date of each of her next three books and have bought them all and starting reading them all the day they went on sale. Her next novel “Heart of the Matter” releases next spring and that’s not soon enough for me.

Emily Giffin would be tops on my list of authors whose books I will always buy and buy right away. On that list I would also include Khaled Hosseini, Courtney Summers, Julie Buxbaum, Allison Winn Scotch, and, increasingly, Elizabeth Scott.

Julie Buxbaum’s second novel, After You, releases this summer and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my advance copy because I happen to think Julie is a phenomenal author and her debut “The Opposite of Love” is one of my favorites.

Whose books will you always buy? Which authors do you track? Whose tales do you make sure to purchase or check out from the library the day they release?

You know those summer reading lists they give you at the end of the school year? Kafka and Orwell and so on? Well, throw it out. Because here’s the real summer must-read list for teens!

• Best Kissing: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
• Best Summer Lovin’: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
• Best Page Turner: Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers
• Best YA with Grace & Beauty of The Lovely Bones: If I Stay by Gayle Forman
• Best Overall Romance: Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen
• Best Romantic Comedy: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
• Best Everything Changes YA: One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin
• Best Escape: The Season by Sara MacLean
• Best Fantastically Tragic Protagonist: The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
• Best Life Lesson: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
• Best “Boy” Book The Girls Will Like Too: Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
• Best Post-Apocalyptic Thriller That Will Make You Think the Noises Your Cats Make in the Night Come from Zombies: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
• Best Better-Than-Twilight Book: Evermore by Alyson Noel

Now go to the library, the book store, your best friend and read!!!

The list was compiled this list with the help of four writing friends: Trish Doller, Suzanne Young, Courtney Summers and Mandy Morgan. And no, Courtney didn’t pick her own book for the list. I picked it! The list includes books published in 2008 and 2009.