Alight

Gr 9 Up—In the first installment, a young girl awakens in a box only to discover herself surrounded by more boxes, filled with other living—and some dead—teens. The survivors of whatever event occurred have only one thing in common: they all believe it's their birthday. The second entry opens with Em and the rest of the Birthday Children arriving at their new home, a place called Omeyocan. While this is supposed to be a safe haven, the teens find signs that a lost civilization may have once lived there and might have met a horrifying end. Are they safe? Are there new enemies hiding in the jungle? What about enemies from within who might use the dangerous situation to remove Em as leader? Sigler's series is one that is hard to discuss without giving away too many spoilers. It is comparable to Ilsa Bick's "Dark Passages" novels in that it is so mind-blowing that it defies categorization. This series is recommended for all teen collections, especially those in need of titles that cross genres. Give to teens who request a book that is "totally different" from anything they've read before.