Book picks similar to
Ribbons of the Sun by Harriet Hamilton


teens
violence
women-girls
adventure-survival

Simply Divine


Jacquelin Thomas - 2006
    . . The daughter of two Hollywood superstars, Divine Matthews-Hardison lives the privileged life most fifteen-year-olds only dream of: she's all about designer clothes, awards ceremonies, parties, and having a name that opens doors. Divine could be a model, an actress, anything she wants. But when you live in the spotlight, there's nowhere to hide when your family falls apart. Her father is in trouble with the law, her mother has her own demons, and no one has room for Divine -- no one except her uncle, a Georgia pastor with a modest country home and a big heart. . . . but can Divine ever forgive? Divine can't believe she's been sent to live with her mom's family in the sticks. Doing chores, getting an allowance, and church-going are hardly what she's used to, and she lets everyone -- from her patient Uncle Reed and Aunt Phoebe to her cousins, Alyssa and Chance -- know she's not trading in her Gucci bags for a feedbag any time soon. But as the love and faith of a good family take hold in her heart, miraculous changes start to occur. And when the chance comes to return to her high-flying life, Divine is faced with her toughest decision: Now that she's found the one thing she's never had, could she ever leave it behind?

Thief


Brian James - 2008
    Elizabeth is a pickpocket and thief living on the edge in New York City, torn between loyalty to her foster sister and a new boy who's recruited into their thieving ranks.

Voss


David Ives - 2008
    Settling into the rundown Slobovian section of town, Voss soon finds his first job by opening the door for debutante Tiffany McBloomingdale (an unheard-of act of politeness), rescues his father from a sinister hospital, and even gets the girl of his dreams, though not the one he expects!Through Voss?s comically broken English, readers will find a remarkably fresh view of America. Brimming with pointed satire, a healthy dose of action, and a one-of-a-kind narrator, Voss?s crazy adventures are sure to leave a lasting impression.

Angel's Choice


Lauren Baratz-Logsted - 2006
    Not that she remembers the act itself -- not the pain or the pleasure. But she is left with something that will never let her forget it: an unplanned pregnancy. Angel must make a choice. Abortion? Adoption? Keep it? None of these choices are easy and none of them are perfect. But there is one thing Angel is sure of. Whatever choice she makes, it must be the right one for her. Braced with that knowledge, Angel faces the toughest decision of her life.

Rebound


Bob Krech - 2006
    Prejudice can be defined in many ways as Ray finds out when he crosses the line as a white Polish-American boy who wants to play on his high school's black basketball team.

Season of Ice


Diane Les Becquets - 2008
    As the lake freezes over, so, too, do the lives and hopes of her family. Because with no body, and no hope of finding one until the lake thaws, the family is denied access to insurance money. As the long winter drags on, Genesis begins to unravel the truth behind the rumors-of an affair, and possibly worse-and for the first time, questions how well she, or anyone, really knew her dad. Her odyssey will take her into the thick woods along the Canadian border where her father worked at a logging camp . . . and into a romance she isn't sure she wants. Taut, dark, and compelling, Season of Ice perfectly captures the complex, interior life of a young woman bracing for truth, inadvertently finding love, and waiting for answers that only the thaw can bring.

Class Favorite


Taylor Morris - 2007
    It was February 14, to be exact. Happy Valentine's Day. Sara Thurman has never considered herself part of the popular crowd - she's got her best friend Arlene and that seems like enough. But when Sara's mom sends a special Valentine's Day delivery (PERIOD FLOWERS!) to her class, all of a sudden Sara is very famous - only for a horribly embarrassing reason! It seems everyone at Bowie Junior High knows something about Sara that she'd rather keep to herself and the harder Sara tries to blend in the more she ends up sticking out. Not only that, but it suddenly seems that Arlene doesn't have time for her anymore, and she has an unbearable crush on Jason who doesn't have any idea who she is (until now, that is). Worst of all, nothing's felt the same since Sara's dad left home. It all has Sara wondering if things will ever return to normal -- especially if she can't even remember what normal feels like. Sara can't figure out why it seems that everyone else has it easier than she does - would things be better if she were popular? Sara decides that if she can't beat 'em then she'll join 'em -- and she hatches a top secret mission to become....Class Favorite.

Hazing Meri Sugarman


M. Apostolina - 2005
    Has been all her life. But now as she enters college, Cindy hopes to shed her loser ways -- get some friends and maybe even (dare she think it?) get a boyfriend. Her first move out of loserdom: pledge Alpha Beta Delta.There Cindy meets Meri Sugarman. Meri is not only beautiful, she controls the sorority, a position that gives Meri more power than...well, maybe not God, but certainly any person within a one-hundred-mile radius. (How, you ask? Think of today's technology and what you could do with it if you were so (illegally) inclined. Get the picture?;-) )Meri teaches Cindy that she, too, can be perfect. She can be beautiful, sexy, and popular, influence teachers and politicians, and even have a boyfriend! But when the new Cindy crosses into Meri-only territory (hint: where there's trouble, look for boy), new -- very scary -- Meri emerges. And Cindy realizes that behind all that beauty is an evil beast that must be stopped.

The Knife and the Butterfly


Ashley Hope PĂ©rez - 2012
    Juvie again, he thinks. But he can't really remember what happened or how he got picked up. He knows his MS13 boys faced off with some punks from Crazy Crew. There were bats, bricks, chains. A knife. But he can't remember anything between that moment and when he woke behind bars. Azael knows prison, and something isn't right about this lockup. No phone call. No lawyer. No news about his brother or his homies. The only thing they make him do is watch some white girl in some cell. Watch her and try to remember. Lexi Allen would love to forget the brawl, would love for it to disappear back into the Xanax fog it came from. And her mother and her lawyer hope she chooses not to remember too much about the brawl--at least when it's time to testify. Lexi knows there's more at stake in her trial than her life alone, though. She's connected to him, and he needs the truth. The knife cut, but somehow it also connected.-- "Journal"

Double Twist


Donna King - 2007
    After months of preparation, they are almost ready for the performance of their lives. Well drilled in their lifts and spins, the two skate like a dream together. But a training accident puts Patric out of action. Laura's dreams are shattered --unless she can find a new partner at the last minute. Laura has seen a boy at the rink with natural talent but no training. Can Scott turn into the perfect partner in just two weeks?

The One


Ed Decter - 2009
     And what Chloe wants...Chloe gets.

Pepperland


Mark Delaney - 2004
    Star) is sixteen when her mother dies of breast cancer. Star is angry that her mother has died and left her, and nothing seems to make her feel better: Not talking to her shrink. Not playing rock music with her best friend Dooley. Not even listening to her mother's old familiar Beatles albums.It is not until Star finds an unsent letter addressed to John Lennon and a broken-down vintage Gibson guitar that she begins to find a way out of her grief...and maybe even a way to take care of some unfinished business left by her mother.Written as homage to the Beatles and the healing power of music, Mark Delaney's unforgettable novel offers a realistic and poignant look at a difficult period in a teenager's life and the process of finding one's self.

Fifteen Candles


Veronica Chambers - 2010
    But for Alicia Cruz and her three best friends, Carmen, Jamie, and Gaz, they were also just part of the background--until now.

My Not-So-Terrible Time at the Hippie Hotel


Rosemary Graham - 2003
    Her father has dragged her to Farnsworth House, a.k.a. the Hippie Hotel, on Cape Cod. It's a place where divorced parents bring their children for quality "Together Time." Tracy dreads the whole idea, until she meets the other girls her age at the hotel. They seem friendly and fun. But they're also great at flirting, which Tracy definitely isn't. When Tracy meets Kevin, a cute, smart guy, she panics. With pretty friends like Kelsey and Beka around, how can Tracy possibly interest Kevin? Then again, maybe she is someone worth knowing, and maybe Kevin thinks so too. Filled with strong, appealing characters and heartfelt narration, this is a touching and memorable first novel.

Hippie Chick


Joseph Monninger - 2008
    After her sailboat capsizes, fifteen-year-old Lolly Emmerson is rescued by manatees and taken to a mangrove key in the Everglades, where she forms a bond with her aquatic companions while struggling to survive.