Next book . . .

Absolute Brightness was a very interesting book.  Not what I expected, but I really enjoyed it.  The characters are well developed and realistically portrayed and it is easy to feel their struggles.  Not a book for every teen, but I would certainly recommend it to some of my avid readers.  Deals with issues of bullying, GLBT teens, parental abuse, death, and the death penalty.  Lots here to think about and there are enough surprises in the book to keep you interested.

My next choice is another teen book, North of Beautiful, by by Justina Chen Headley.  This is another book about teens with problems -- a port-wine birthmark, a cleft pallette, and an abusive parent.  The message is supposed to be about beauty coming from within.  I'll let you know.