Lair of Dreams

Lairof Dreams by Libba Bray, 613 pages

"The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.  After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people's secrets, she's become a media darling, and earned the title "America's Sweetheart Seer." Everyone's in love with the city's newest It Girl...everyone except the other Diviners. Piano-playing Henry Dubois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret--for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City. As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess....As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?" I really enjoyed this book.  Teens who like scary fantasy and aren't put off by the length will definitely want to read this series.

Chasing Power

Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst, 368 pages

Kayla and her mom have been hiding from her father since the day he killed her sister.  Kayla has special powers.  She can move things with her mind.  Her mom doesn't want her to use her power because she's afraid that someone might see and then her father might find them.  Kayla has been doing it anyway without her mother's knowledge.  No one has ever noticed Kayla even though she has been stealing, until the day a boy speaks to her and then teleports her.  At first Kayla thinks the boy has been sent by her father but what he really wants is help rescuing his mother who has been kidnapped.  I thought this story was pretty good and that most tens who like magic will probably enjoy it.

Leaving Time

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult, 405 pages

This story is told from several different points of view, but mostly from Jenna, a thirteen year old girl, who has been living with her grandmother for the past decade.  When Jenna was three, a terrible accident happened on the elephant sanctuary where her parents worked and they all lived.  One of their colleagues was killed, Jenna’s mom, Alice, went missing, and Jenna’s father ended up in psychiatric facility.  Jenna enlists the help of the detective from the original case and a psychic to find her mom.  She has never wanted to believe that her mom willingly abandoned her but also doesn’t want to believe that her mom is dead.  We hear Alice’s story prior to that night from Alice’s point of view and we also get some of the story from the detective and the psychic.  Although there is not a lot of action, this is a compelling story with an ending that completely surprised me.  I would highly recommend this to people who like mysteries or family stories with a little paranormal thrown in.