Pax
by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen    

This is an adorable middle grade book!  Pax, an orphaned fox, is discovered and adopted by Peter.  Peter’s mother died and he lives alone with his father. When his father enlists with the army, Peter is dropped off at his grandfather’s house after deserting Pax in the woods. Peter is forlorn and devastated without his fox so he runs away to rescue Pax and a long adventure ensues. The book alternates between chapters written from Peter’s and Pax’s perspectives. I most enjoyed the chapters written from Pax’s point of view.

Wolf Hollow
by Lauren Wolk   

Set in 1943, this book is historical fiction, and tells the story of 12 year old Annabelle. She has a normal farm life until Betty, a new student at her school, starts terrorizing her and her brothers. A vagrant of sorts named Toby, a homeless World War I veteran, lives on an abandoned property near Annabelle. When Annabelle’s best friend is hit by a rock near the schoolyard and loses an eye, Betty blames Toby. Annabelle’s mission becomes to clear Toby’s name. Although the book is classified as young adult, it can be read by adults as well. I recently joined a discussion of it with the Beagle Women’s Book Group.

Unbound
by Ann E. Burg  

 Another young adult book of historical fiction, this is written in verse and focuses on slave ownership in the deep South. When nine year old Grace is sent from her family in the fields to serve in the “Big House,” she learns that her mother and two younger brothers are soon to be sold. She convinces her family to flee. This book explores the cruelty of slave owners and the redemption of freedom.

Heartless
by Marissa Meyer 

This book tells the story of how the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland came to be. Catherine longs to be a pastry baker, but her royal parents are not so keen on the idea. When the King of Hearts begins courting Cath, her parents are delighted, but Cath has no interest in him. When she meets the new court jester, a connection blooms between them. Cath is torn between her parents’ wishes for her and her own dreams.

NERVE
by Jeanne Ryan  

Vee, who lives in the shadow of her best friend Sydney, decides to branch out from her normal behind-the-scenes nature and completes a dare for an online game called NERVE. NERVE is a game that gives its players dares and rewards them with prizes if they complete the dares successfully. Vee plans on only doing one dare, but when Sydney shares a kiss with Vee’s long time crush, Vee fully enters the game. NERVE seems relatively harmless at first but the stakes rise with each dare, and Vee finds herself in serious danger. This book is completely different from the movie based on it.

RoseBlood
by A. G. Howard

This book is a retelling of the classic Phantom of the Opera novel. Rune is able to sing any opera she hears perfectly, even if it’s in a language she doesn’t know, but after each rendition she is left drained and frail. Rune is shipped off to a French boarding school for the arts because her mother hopes it will cure her of her singing affliction. As soon as Rune gets to the school things seem off; her uniforms go missing and she sees a strange figure in the garden no one can identify. All the while, the Phantom is plotting with his adopted son, Thorn, against her.