Stuck on Earth
by David Klass

The first two chapters of Stuck on Earth are some of the funniest, most attention-grabbing first pages of a novel that I've read in a while.  An alien space ship orbiting Earth is checking out the planet for possible colonization by the Lugonians, a species whose sun is about to go super nova.  Katchvar III, a snail-like creature, has been sent to Earth to inhabit the body of a 14-year-old boy, to evaluate the human race and determine whether it deserves to live or be exterminated.  It is a well-known fact that humans are very violent beings with little positive to be said about them.  Ketchvar's host body, Tom Filber, and his family just seem to prove what is already known--humans are mean and destructive and don't deserve the beautiful planet they inhabit.
        While this story has a funny beginning, not far into the book it becomes obvious how miserable and dysfunctional Tom's life really is.  It is questionable whether Ketchvar is a real alien, or an alternate personality that Tom uses to deal with his unhappy life.  That question hangs over the remainder of the novel, causing the reader to constantly wonder if this is an entertaining sci-fi novel, or an intense story about a troubled teen.  The budding relationship with the girl next door, Ketchvar's environmental project to research the cause of pollution in the local river, and Tom/Ketchvar's struggle to connect with his father make this a novel which can be read on several levels. You will have to decide for yourself whether or not Ketchvar III is a real being from outer space or a figment of Tom's imagination.  Stuck on Earth is on the 2012 Texas Lone Star Reading List and highly recommended.
             ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams

Hate List
by Jennifer Brown

Ever since that terrible day last May when her boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on students in their school commons, Valerie has tried understand how she couldn't have seen what was coming. How could something like their hate list just be a way of blowing off steam for her, but deadly serious to Nick, and she never realized it?  Shot while she tried to stop Nick from targeting the people on the list, Valerie is caught between those who believe she is just as guilty as Nick, and those who think she is a hero for saving another student.  All she knows is that the hate list was her idea, and she lost the best friend she ever had when Nick turned the gun on himself.  In the months following the shootings, Valerie alternates between total self-absorption, and surprising sympathy for others. This amazing first novel by Jennifer Brown, tells the story of a girl who slowly crawls back to health from a black hole, and the unexpected compassion she receives along the way.  Highly recommended!    ~reviewed by Dail Sams