Fade

Fade by Lisa McMann (NY: Simon Pulse, 2009).

This is a quick, enjoyable read about an 18-year-old girl who uses her recently discovered abilities to enter people's dreams to help the police investigate a possible sexual abuse case at her high school. Fade is the sequel to Wake (which I have not read), but readers will have no problem entering the world of this novel. McMann vividly evokes the confusion and fear of the unknown that Janie feels as she learns how to use her dream catching powers. From her dream mentor, a recently deceased elderly woman who was also a dream catcher, Janie learns that her gift will take a serious physical toll on her, plus she's dealing with a new love relationship with a boy who has his own issues.

Highly recommended for teens (high school & up) who like paranormal fiction. Sexual situations, including rape; language.

Very LeFreak

Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010).

Very (short for Veronica) functions at two speeds--fast and faster--and her life revolves around her online connections, which often seem more vital to her than the people in her real life at Columbia University, where she's freshman teetering on the brink of expulsion. Pretty much everything about Very's life is extreme and extremely out of control. She needs a pause, and she gets one when her people stage an intervention, strip her of her electronics, and force her to face her demons. But even that's not enough, and Very eventually ends up at a Vermont rehab center called ESCAPE--Emergency Services for Computer-Addicted Persons Everywhere. Can she reform, or will she revert to her old ways given the opportunity provided by an online love connection who shows up at ESCAPE?

Excellent read for high school & up. Sexual situations, language.