Sci-fi featuring aliens surfacing from the shores of Coney Island and a paranormal mystery with a Muslim American teen sleuth are just some of the titles the Kitsap (WA) Regional Library YA Book Group is reading and reviewing. Check out what these young adult critics have to say about the latest teen fiction releasing in the next few months. BALDWIN, Kathleen. A School for Unusual Girls. TorTeen. May 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780765376008. Gr 8 Up—A School for Unusual Girls is about espionage immediately set after Napoleon's downfall in France. Only, these aren't your regular agents or spies, no they are a set of misfit girls sent off to a house where they are said to be “trained” to become the perfect housewives. They are anything but this, and they are trying to save France and keep their identities secret. I very much enjoyed the plot. Things just kept happening, whether you knew they were coming or not. I also really enjoyed the time period that this book was set in. I'm always willing to read a book about girls of espionage back in history. I was not disappointed really, only that the book ended! Though, there were some parts where I wished the writing style was a little more complex, or vague. It almost seemed like the text occasionally gave the answers away to readers.–Kalea C., 13 BUCKLEY, Michael. Undertow. Houghton Harcourt. May 2015. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9780544348257. Gr 8 Up—Lyric Walker gets migraines she's had since birth. Lyric Walker has a mother and a father. Lyric goes to high school and has a best friend, Bex. She can't explain anything anymore. Lyric Walker is just a girl. Sort of. I LOVED the plot and most definitely the characters. I don't think you quite understand how much I love Fathom and Bex and Arcade, etc. (I could keep going). They were just so original and amazing. Love, love, love, (especially Fathom haha). I was disappointed mainly about just one thing— the overuse of the word "cries" throughout the book. It made this book hard to read. Besides being overused, "cries" felt like it was used inconsistently with some characters. Please try to use some other words besides cry and cries in there. It will make it more interesting and nicer to read. I just wanted to add I love Fathom and Lyric and that I think there should be a sequel .–Mia C., 12   ANOTHER TAKE: Undertow is about a girl who is thrown into a new world; a world full of deadly creatures known as the Alpha. When they first came, blood was shed, and it is about to happen again. The heroes of a story always prevail, but what price will come with it? The plot and the Alpha are probably the most compelling parts of the book. The plot is compelling because it is a dystopian theme, and people seem to like that, and the Alpha because of how unique they are as a race. I found it very disappointing how stereotypical the book was. An alien race comes, many (though not all humans) hate them, the main girl character knows the prince from a past encounter, and they are coincidentally paired together and fall in love. Everything was to be expected, unfortunately.–Kalea C., 13 LATHAM, Jennifer. Scarlett Undercover. Little, Brown. May 2015. Tr $18. ISBN 9780316283939. Gr 6–10—Scarlett Undercover is full of mysteries. Between Scarlett's humor and the unexpected twists, it was hard to stop reading. The cover looks okay, but I don't think it really represents the book well. I like the black and red fading though. Personally, I don't really like book covers with the main character on them, because it's hard to imagine them myself as I read the book. I picked this book because I was interested in reading a book with a Muslim protagonist, and I liked how it was written in the book. It wasn't ignored completely, and it seemed like an important part of her character. Scarlett's voice didn't feel realistic. I like how she sounded smart, but sometimes she seemed too smart, not vulnerable enough. It's not a big thing, but I noticed that when Scarlett read her texts, they were usually in lowercase. Usually cell phones today auto-capitalize sentences. –Adelaide M., 13 OCKLER, Sarah. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids. S. & S. Jun. 2015. Tr $17.99. 9781481401272. Gr 8 Up—Elyse is a mute. But she wasn't always. Once upon a time, in the land of the Caribbean, twin sisters had their life set up for them. They would go to concerts, sing their heart out, follow their dreams and do everything they wanted. But then that didn't happen. Elyse, seeking refuge from her homeland and the scar full of pain it left, spends her summer in the states: the Oregon Coast, to be more exact. She's all set: Forget her past life, move on, stay antisocial, and be a mute for the rest of her life. Then someone else walks into the picture. Christian Kane, who has his own set of family problems, starts getting “real friendly” with Elyse. New problems arise, for Elyse's aunt and cousin in the States, and it's up to Elyse to stay and help the Cove, or ditch back to home where the scar on her neck is still recognizable. I did not like the cover. My friends saw the book and said: "OOOOOOOH" in a really annoying tone because they wanted to know what I was doing with a romance novel. It was too girly and romantic for me. What I found compelling in this book, were her constant references to the sea, because I just LOVE the sea, the constant use of thorough description, the constant reminder of Elyse's challenges as a mute, and the flashback that kept me guessing and pondering through each page I turned. Sarah, you have perfected the art of flashbacks. The writing style was also laudable, because it was easy to follow and kept me pleasantly informed throughout the book. Sarah, I know how much this book means to you, but I plead you to remove all offensive language against God and Jesus. Religious slang, as I call it, is offensive to some readers. I know that if you get rid of it, the book will sell better and you will be more successful. I read the acknowledgements (so few people do anymore), and the paragraphs you wrote to the reader (me)...they were just poetry. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on such a lovely message. Seriously, I'm impressed. That may not mean much to an ESTABLISHED AUTHOR, but hey! I'm Sam, and I approve of your message.—Sam G., 13 SCHOW, Betsy. Spelled. Sourcebooks. Jun. 2015. pap. $9.99. ISBN 9781492608714. Gr 6–9—I liked that the writing at the top alludes to The Wizard of Oz, which is what the book is mostly based on, as well as the shoes. The cover looks mysterious, which makes you want to know what it is about, which then leads you to want to read it. I really liked how clever and punny (haha) this book was. There are A LOT of illusions to various fairy tales (mostly Wizard of Oz) which I thought made the book more fun and funny. I absolutely loved this book and the growth of Dorthea from a prissy, bossy princess to a truly good person. This book is an amazing read. I literally could not put it down. This book is extremely clever and I loved all aspects of it. If you like versions of fairy-tales and a lovable, laughable, and livable load of fun, this book is for you. I think other teens will love this book! I already have a line of friends who want to read it!–Eleanor C.,13