Dystopian SF. Ravaged by war, climate change, and rampant social disorder, the future United States in which this novel and its award-winning precursor, Ship Breaker, take place is all but unrecognizable. (Luckily for readers, author Paolo Bacigalupi is a master at describing the harrowing world that his fully-fleshed-out characters inhabit.) Refugee orphans Mahlia and Mouse have escaped the grim violence of the Drowned Cities -- the flooded remains of Washington, D.C. -- but find themselves drawn back into the madness and mayhem after they meet a bio-engineered soldier/beast called Tool. Those who prefer their dystopias gritty, dark, intricate, and intense (rather than romantic) will be mesmerized by this unforgettable read.

Realistic Fiction. As her commitment-phobic mother prepares (at last!) to marry, Cricket Shine is taking a break from her relationship with boy-next-door Janssen and doing her best to prepare for all of the changes she's about to face -- college, a new branch on her family tree, and maybe even life without her loyal, loving boyfriend. (Cricket does not like change.) Gathering at a coastal inn for the wedding, the Shine and Jax families meet, clash, and eventually celebrate the joyful union, but not before plenty of hilarious mishaps and much reflection on Cricket's part ensue. Readers who like romantic fiction of unusual depth and complexity, such as Dana Reinhardt's How to Build a House, will swoon for The Story of Us.

Science Fiction. The first time that 13-year-old Tucker Feye's dad, a preacher, goes missing, he returns an hour later with a pale Bulgarian girl in tow -- and without his faith in God. But when his mom and dad both disappear a year later, Tucker is sure that the strange disks of shimmering air that he's seen hovering near their house are somehow to blame. He steps into one of the discs and is catapulted through time, ricocheting from one "interesting" (think of the Chinese curse) event to another, soon realizing that he has the power to alter history. Adrenaline junkies and philosophical types will be equally in the thrall of this dizzying novel laced with "flashes of snarky wit and uncomfortable questions of faith, identity, and destiny" (Kirkus Reviews).

Paranormal Romance. Engaged to marry her friend Tove in order to give the Trylle people their strongest king and queen in history, changeling troll princess Wendy is torn between her duty to her kingdom and her feelings for two other suitors, Finn and Loki. Author Amanda Hocking (who originally self-published these tales -- Switched, Torn, and Ascend -- in e-book form) has created an engaging, angst-filled fantastical trilogy that is offbeat, sexy, and politically complex -- and Kirkus Reviews says that she "saves the best for last in [this] final installment."

Realistic Fiction. "The List" is a tradition at Mount Washington High -- it's posted during the fall semester every year and names the prettiest and the ugliest girl from each grade. No one knows who is responsible for creating the list, but everyone knows how strongly it affects the girls who end up on it (even the "pretties"), and the principal wants to put an end to it. Alternately thought-provoking, funny, surprising, and poignant, this is an angsty, issue-driven read with characters you'll come to care about. For more high-drama fiction that grapples with the importance people place on appearance, check out Madeleine George's Looks or Kody Keplinger's The DUFF.

Adult Historical Fiction. When Victor Frankenstein meets Percy Bysshe Shelley at Oxford, the budding scientist and the radical atheist poet become fast friends, united by their interest in the origins of life. With Percy's encouragement, Victor begins his research into electricity -- which in turn leads to the creation of his legendary monster. This inventive reinterpretation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, written in the language of the early 19th century, incorporates both historical figures (such as Mary Shelley and Lord Byron) and fictional characters. For a rather different perspective on "the modern Prometheus," you might also be interested in Laurie Sheck's A Monster's Notes.

Graphic Novel. The American Revolution might have gone down differently with a few superheroes thrown in -- especially if those heroes happened to be runaway slaves. This fast-paced adventure comic presents an alternative history in which slaves Brody and Graham, fleeing their cruel master, go in search of (real-life) abolitionist and radical Quaker Benjamin Lay but are instead intercepted by Benjamin Franklin's maniacal son, William. William performs electrical experiments on Graham and Brody that result in their acquisition of super-human strength, speed, and mental acuity. So watch out, Redcoats and slave hunters -- the sons of liberty are coming. If you're drawn in by this violent, dramatically illustrated, and "socially relevant swashbuckler" (Library Journal), don't miss its sequel, Death and Taxes.

Horror. Mirroring what Seth Grahame-Smith did for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by incorporating zombies into the original story, this twist on Louisa May Alcott's classic tale chronicles the joys and sorrows of Meg, Amy, Jo, and Beth March, humanitarian vampires living in mid-19th-century New England while their father is off at war. Fans of the original will most appreciate this clever satirical mash-up, which is "replete with excellent wordplay and footnotes to clarify vampire history" (Booklist) and describes both the sisters' love lives and their battles against those who hunt their kind.

Fantasy. Having discovered the secret to eternal youth, 14th-century alchemist Nicholas Flamel and his wife are alive and well in present-day San Francisco, California. But they won't stay well if 15-year-old twins Sophie and Josh Newman don't fulfill their prophesied role of either saving or destroying the world, starting by getting back an ancient text stolen from Flamel's bookstore. (The stolen volume contains the key to the Flamels' immortality, which they must renew every month.) This series opener moves at lightning speed, is rich with mythology and magic, and involves goddesses, werewolves, and vampires -- as well as a cliffhanger ending. But don't fret! The 6th and final volume, The Enchantress, just published last month, so the complete series awaits you.

Gothic Horror. In 1888 New England, monster-hunting doctor Pellinore Warthrop and his apprentice Will Henry encounter an Anthropophagus -- a headless, supposedly extinct monster that has teeth in its belly and feeds on humans -- and the two of them must track and kill an entire pod of the beasts. Alternately flowery and dripping with gore, the writing in this 1st volume of a trilogy is lush and compelling; it will transport you to the Victorian age...and scare your trousers off. For another menacing, action-packed, and at times melodramatic historical novel that explores the intersection of science and the supernatural, check out Kenneth Oppel's This Dark Endeavor, which imagines Victor Frankenstein's teen years.