Undone by Brooke Taylor (debut)

First line: “My best friend Kori came with a warning label—a black t-shirt that read: ‘Don’t believe everything you hear about me.’”

Kori (the school’s “dark angel”) and quiet, straight-laced Serena become unlikely best friends, yet as bad as Kori likes to be, she acts as Serena’s protector and doesn’t want Serena getting drunk or smoking pot or messing around with boys. After a terrible accident, Serena decides to finish Kori’s five things she’d left “undone” as a part of a sociology assignment in school. Serena discovers not only why Kori became the rebel but why their friendship was so special. The author accomplishes to blend gritty, emotional material with moments of real humor. She nails high school and the caste system brilliantly. Taylor is definitely a new author to watch and recommend.

For: Teens going through any emotional upheaval – isn’t that all of them? – Malena Lott

Buy it at Amazon.