Sounds like longtime YA favorites Sarah Dessen and Francesca Lia Block are continuing to deliver compelling reads, whether happening in your own present-day backyard, or a dystopic one in the future. A second take on Jaclyn Moriarty's A Corner of White offers another double thumbs-up. For other portal fiction offerings, check out Media Mania's read-alikes for Oz the Great and Powerful. DESSEN, Sarah. The Moon and More. Viking. June 2013. Tr $19.99. 9780670785605. Gr 9 Up—Emaline is an average girl. She's got a boyfriend (Luke), a summer job (with the family business), and college plans (thanks to a full ride to East U). It's the summer before she leaves for college, and she's sure it will be a pretty standard one. That is, until, well—it isn't. As college quickly approaches and her relationships start falling apart, Emaline must learn about picking and choosing the battles she wants to fight. The Moon and More turned out to be a novel that grew on me. I had extremely high aspirations for it already—I'm a huge fan of Sarah Dessen—but while reading it I was almost disappointed. In the end, I decided that I enjoyed it. The Moon and More will make you feel a lot of things—frustration, excitement, anger, disappointment. Sarah Dessen fans will love this book as I ultimately did, but maybe they will (as I did) love it in a different way than her previous books: gradually, and then suddenly.—Destiny B. age 15 BLOCK, Francesca Lia. Love in the Time of Global Warming. Holt. Aug. 2013. Tr $16.99. 9780805096279. Gr 8 Up—Penelope believes she is the last person alive in the city of Los Angeles after a massive earthquake destroyed all of humanity on Earth. After encountering a group of survivors, however, she begins to have hope in whatever may be left of the world, whether it be love, trust, or, just maybe, her family. For the time being, the only thing keeping her alive is the love from a boy who claims he is Not Once What He Was. Modeled after Homer’s Odyssey, Pen goes on a postapocalyptic journey filled with giants and butterflies in an attempt to find her way home. Block’s writing style perfectly sets the mood for the plotline of this novel. Although it may not be filled with all the action of the actual Odyssey, her words lead readers into a dystopian fantasy filled with delicate, artistic, and clear visuals of what Pen sees her world to be. The confident ability to interweave risqué topics such as climate change and gay love propels this book into excellence.—Abrania M. age 16 A SECOND TAKE: MORIARTY, Jaclyn. A Corner of White. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Bks. April 2013. Tr $17.99. 9780545397360. Gr 7 Up—Madeleine is used to a life of extravagance filled with wild adventures; living modestly in quiet Cambridge, England is a bit of cultural shock for her. Even though she has found friends in her new home, Madeleine longs for her absent father to return so she can return to her former life. Then she finds a note left in a parking meter with an odd message. She replies to the message, leaving her own note in the same parking meter. As it turns out, the parking meter is a small portal to another world. This is where Elliot comes in; he finds her note and the two begin a correspondence. In the meantime, Elliot is desperately searching for his missing father, but is delayed by a series of "color attacks" and strange events. As Madeleine and Elliot share their lives with each other, they must handle the challenges that come their way. I absolutely loved A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty. I have not read a book that I enjoyed as much as this one in a while. The plot was very cleverly crafted, the setting was incredibly creative, and the characters were very well developed. Moriarty managed to effectively mix fantasy and realistic fiction by creating an entirely new world. The characters were likeable and easy to relate to, as they dealt with issues normal teenagers would face along with more out-of-the-ordinary problems. The build-up to the climax was extremely well done; important information was revealed subtly, allowing for a suspenseful ending. I would absolutely recommend A Corner of White.—Kayla T., age 16