Book picks similar to
Poison Ivy by Kathryn White


lgbtq-tbr
need
unshelved
young-adult

In Dreams


J. Sterling - 2011
    Convinced he must exist, Taylor is relentless... until she finds out exactly WHO the mysterious stranger really is.The realization rocks the girls to their core and sends them down a path of unimaginable heartbreak as they learn to navigate their new reality.Follow Katherine & Taylor's journey through love, friendship and tragedy in the first book of this emotionally captivating Young Adult series.Suitable for ages 12+

Portal Through the Pond


David K. Anderson - 2013
    They said her grandmother was crazy. Christy knows better. When 13-year-old Christy's grandmother dies, she leaves Christy a mysterious packet of information revealing an amazing secret: the pond in her yard is in fact a portal to another world. And what's more, her grandfather had disappeared in that world nine years earlier. Christy is determined to honor her grandmother's wish to keep the secret, even if it means alienating her best friend Trevor. However, things spiral out of her control when nosy classmate Rob accidentally crosses into other world, the grown-ups think he has drowned, she's forced to tell Trevor, and Danny--the nine-year-old deaf boy next door--follows her through the portal to rescue Rob. Will Trevor be able to convince the grown-ups to trust Christy to get them all home? Or will they let the police drain the pond, stranding the children in an alien world?

First to Fall


Carys Jones - 2010
    Hired to defend a local ex-beauty queen accused of murdering her husband, he’s confident that he’ll have the case closed in record time. But below the surface lurks a darker truth…Suddenly, a quiet backwater has transformed into a dangerous pressure cooker. In a town where everyone knows everyone, gathering evidence should be easy… but the harder Aiden searches, the more he appreciates how tangled this net of loyalties is. And as he digs deeper, Aiden begins to realise that his very first case in Avalon could be the beginning of his undoing…

Dark Territory


J. Gabriel Gates - 2011
    But, he soon learns, these are no ordinary gangs. The wealthy, preppie Toppers on one side of the tracks and the working-class Flatliners on the other adhere to a strict code of honor and use their deadly martial arts skills, taught to them by the wise Master Chin, to battle one another for pride, territory, and survival. When Raphael, leader of the Flatliners, falls for Aimee, a Topper girl, the rival gangs prepare for a bloody, all-out war. The only hope for peace between them lies within the dark territory of the abandoned train tunnels where the tracks cross. Under the direction of the mysterious and frightening Magician, the awesome power within the crossing sends the rivals on a terrifying mystical quest to fight the malevolent force that threatens the existence of Middleburg.

Eternal


Chantelle Nay - 2013
    He felt racked with guilt. What was he doing? This wasn't right and he knew it. He had gone too far in his quest to keep a promise. Everything had gotten out of control somehow. Emma had become too important to him. And it was more than that; he longed to be around her, to talk with her, to touch her again and again. These feelings were strange to him. He’d never experienced anything like this. It was almost as if someone were inside his head, whispering to him, making him want things he could never have. A heavenly being wasn't supposed to feel this way. But he did, and it was breaking him. He knew what he needed to do to fix it, but he wasn't ready to let go. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay right where he was. He deserved happiness too. Maybe there was a way. Maybe he could have her for himself. Would that really be so wrong? The answer to that question screamed back at him from inside his head. Yes, yes it would be.""From the very first moment, EMMA had wanted him to want her, but never really thought it was possible. Now he was saying little cryptic things that made her think maybe there was a chance for them.But now Emma felt feelings that she had never expected to feel for a sweet blue eyed boy, that she was going to have to turn her back on. Could she really do that? She wasn’t sure she could.""DESTRY was at war with himself. He couldn't figure out what it was about the girl Emma that had him feeling upside down and inside out. Every time he saw her, he got that burning feeling that nearly choked him. He wanted to be near her. She was like oxygen to him, she made everything feel better. She eased the burning in his chest and calmed the fluttering of his mind. But did she feel the same when she was around him? He seemed to make her uncomfortable and sometimes angry. He didn't want to chase after someone that didn't want to be chased. He hoped that after tonight, the burning would leave him alone and he could move on with life. A life that didn't involve seeing Emma's face every time he closed his eyes."

Resumed Innocent


Rene Fomby - 2017
     But as dawn breaks over tiny Blair County, a guilty verdict is the least of her concerns. The Texas justice system has taken dead aim at getting her off the case - even if it means taking dead aim at  the back of her head.And Samantha Tulley is in way over her head. Starting a career as a small town criminal attorney would be tough enough, but as a widowed mother with no income and very little in the bank, Sam never seems to catch a break. From court appointed clients who rarely show up for court to pro bono clients with seemingly unwinnable cases, every day is a new struggle to figure out the subtle intricacies and intrigues of the criminal justice system. And then suddenly the system turns against her, and Sam and her daughter are left running for their lives.Torn from the author's own case files, Resumed Innocent offers a revealing and sometimes frightening inside look at just how our fractured justice system works to punish the innocent and reward the wicked. And for the poor there simply is no justice at all.

Ideal High


Valerie Ipson - 2015
    As soon as the memorial for him and six of their friends is over, she's resigning from student government. Really. Until someone scribbles a disturbing list on a bathroom wall: WHO DESERVED TO DIE IN THE FIRE? Names are quickly added, and soon she knows what it means. To get to the truth she has to go from grieving girlfriend to leading the fight against lies and bullies, all while confronting the terrifying questions about what really happened the night of the tragedy. Answers seem always out of reach. But, seriously, what stage of grief says Taryn has to be the one to fix what's wrong at Ideal High.

A Jersey Dreamboat


Georgina Troy - 2015
    Event planners Izzy and Jess are badly let down when a Jersey socialite hires them for the busiest weeks of the season and then cancels at the last minute, leaving the girls with no bookings and no money. Feeling despondent, they try a night out to cheer themselves up, and meet the captivating and aristocratic Ed, who invites the two on an luxury yacht cruise to Nice, together with his two brothers. Romance builds through heady days of blue sky and warm seas, but when a last-minute wedding booking is offered, the girls must return to Jersey, and real life has to begin again ... or has it?

Go Tell It!


Debby Efurd - 2015
    Fairy tales, fables, stories from her youth … they swept Debby away to another world. As one story ended, Debby would beg for more.When she was older, Debby fell in love with Bible stories and was eager to hear stories in Sunday School about Joseph or David or Moses. Then one day she heard the Greatest Story Ever Told and met and fell in love with the Main Character – Jesus Christ. That made all the difference.Somewhere along Debby’s life journey, though, Debby forgot who was in charge. That’s when life turned upside down. Decades later, after many trials and triumphs, she turned control back to the One who provides hope and transformation. Yes, stories can inspire, motivate, spur you to action … like an arrow right at your heart. Go Tell It! provides compelling stories of hope and transformation of lives who have each made a “180” by finding and sharing their voices. Whether your personal story revolves around one moment, one ministry, or a multitude of life events, the key is to point to the One who makes your transformation possible. All it takes is a willing heart and the courage to be honest … one story at a time.

The Golden Shot: British Detective Jonathan Roper Investigates


Michael Leese - 2020
    Beamed from the Dark Web, it boasts millions of anonymous “fans” getting their kicks from real-time murders.The people behind the depraved show are running rings around Interpol as they cut a swathe through Europe. Now they've pitched up in London and launched a fresh killing spree.It’s almost as though they are setting a challenge. Catch us if you can.Scotland Yard Commissioner, Julie Mayweather wastes no time in sending for her top team. With the maverick autistic detective, Jonathan Roper, and his boss, Detective Chief Inspector Brian Hooley, on the case, you can expect a roller coaster of a ride.It is this “special relationship” that makes the Roper series stand out. It provides unexpected warmth and genuine humour at even the darkest moments.The Golden Shot is a dark, page-turning thriller that grabs you by the throat from the beginning... but don’t be surprised to find yourself laughing out loud.

Travels of an Ordinary Man Australia


Paul Elliott - 2013
    Heading to Australia after selling everything that he owns, apart from the contents of his rucksack, the story follows Paul Elliott’s four month journey around the continent.It chronicles his adventures and the myriad of people that he encounters in a humourous and entertaining way. Not only does he begin to find a direction for his life, he also begins to find his true self in an ultimately uplifting adventure.