Shelter

Gr 9 Up—Athletic, good-looking, 15-year-old Mickey Bolitar has traveled the world, growing up in places like Laos, the Amazon jungle, and Sierra Leone, but his first few weeks in a California high school proves to be the most difficult and dangerous. After his father's unexpected death, his mother sought solace in drugs. Now with her in rehab, Mickey is living with his estranged uncle, Myron. In school, Mickey makes plenty of enemies, but also a few friends, including a Goth girl and a geek. They form a delightfully odd trio. Mickey also has a beautiful new girlfriend, Ashley, but when she mysteriously disappears, he decides he can't allow the one good thing in his life to fade away. His quest to find her takes him to a dangerous, seedy bar. However, Mickey isn't the only one searching for her—she's also wanted by an underground secret society. Mickey discovers nothing in his life is what he believed, including Ashley and his parents. Nick Podehl's reading is so superb that it almost sounds like full-cast narration. Harlan Coben's debut young adult novel (Putnam, 2011) successfully enters the teen world with his unique blend of wit, humor, and mystery. This hold-your-breath, page-turner will have listeners eagerly anticipating its sequel.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH