My sister lives on the mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

"Ten-year-old Jamie hasn't cried since it happened. He knows he should have - Jasmine cried, Mum cried, Dad still cries. Roger didn't, but then he is just a cat and didn't know Rose that well, really.

Everyone kept saying it would get better with time, but that's just one of those lies that grown-ups tell in awkward situations. Five years on, it's worse than ever: Dad drinks, Mum's gone and Jamie's left with questions that he must answer for himself.
This is his story, an unflinchingly real yet heart-warming account of a young boy's struggle to make sense of the loss that tore his family apart." Summary from goodreads 

My sister lives on the mantelpiece is written from a ten year boy's point of view. It deals with hefty topics like death, racism, family break up, alcohol abuse, keeping secrets and bullying. It works because it uses Jamie's voice as he is telling his story. Definitely try it. Click HERE if you want more information about the author Annabel Pitcher.  

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love. From GoodReads

The Rosie Project is written in first person. Don Tillman, the genetic professor is telling his story about his mission to find a wife. It's a quick easy light-hearted read. More information about the book can be found HERE. If you want to take the quizz to see if you are "wife" material, then click HERE.

If I stay by Gayle Forman

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.  Quote from GoodReads.

Written in Mia's voice, she is trying to decide whether to stay or go. It's a good, fast, sad read.
Click HERE to go to Gayle Forman's site.

PS There is a sequel - "Where she went" I'm looking forward to reading it. 

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

The following summary & book cover is from Sally Gardner's page: - http://www.sallygardner.net/books/maggot-moon/

"Set in an alternative 1950s Britain, where Standish Treadwell and Gramps live with the rest of the undesirables in Zone 7, and all stand terrified under the brutal regime of the Motherland. But severely dyslexic Standish sees the world through different eyes to most, and through his vision and courage he has to track down his best friend Hector, who has disappeared completely, and ultimately find a way to bring down the oppressive forces of the Motherland. How can one boy stand against an all-powerful army?

MAGGOT MOON is an unforgettable story of courage, friendship and rebellion, written in a wholly original style that will have readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end."

This is a book that sticks. I couldn't stop thinking about Standish & the people who live in Zone 7. After reading it, I understand why I have been told that this book can be used when studying Nazism & Stalinism.  Click HERE to go to the Maggot Moon site. 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Set in a dark vision of near future a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdee steps forward to take her younger sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. From Goodreads

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins was a series of books that I had put off reading until recently. The idea of children killing each other was just too much for me to handle. However, with all the hype about the movie Catching Fire coming out, I thought I would read the first book to see why it was so popular. Once I finished the first book, I had to read the other two. I can't even really explain why the books are great. The basic idea of the games still horrifies me but the books were compelling, fast paced and well written. Click HERE to go to the official Hunger Games site.

Holes by Louis Sachar

Holes by Louis Sachar is a 1999 Newberry Winner. This book has been around for a while but if you have never read it then you should or if you have not read it recently then you should reread it. It's more than a story about an innocent boy sent to a juvenile dentition centre for a crime he didn't commit but it cleverly weaves three stories together. 

Want to learn more, then click HERE to read Louis Sachar's answers to some questions about the book. Plus you can click HERE to read SLJ's fabulous and comprehensive blog post about the book. 

Malice by Chris Wooding

If the 3D cover doesn't attract your attention, then the format of this book might. It's a combination of a book and a graphic novel. Chris Wooding writes fantasies. However, this book is a little different as it goes between the real world and the fantasy "Malice" world. Malice is first book of two. The next book is Havoc. Children aged ten and up would enjoy these two books. 

Summary from Goodreads : 

Everyone's heard of it, but nobody's read it...Seth and Kady have heard all the stories about MALICE - a secret comic about a strange and awful world full of traps and tricks, overseen by a sinister master of ceremonies, Tall Jake. But if rumours are to be believed, the children in this comic are real...

Click HERE to learn about the book Malice, Chris Wooding and his other books.