Everyone occasionally has the passing thought that their parents may be evil, but these kids know it for sure.  Every year since forever, their parents have gotten together a few times a year to plan a big charity event.  During these meetings, the kids are banished to a playroom—until this year.  This year Alex has found a series of secret passages in his house, and he leads the other five kids down them, to spy on their parents.  What they see seems impossible, but the knowledge that their parents are really, truly, murderously evil sends them on the run, with nothing but themselves to rely on.

Runaways is a really excellent storyline by Brian K. Vaughan (he wrote The Pride of Baghdad, and seasons 3-5 of LOST.)  Unlike in most superhero comics, these kids sort of think costumes and code-names are lame, and their rallying cry is “try not to die.”  It’s a great series, with a ton of great girl heroes and some pretty great guy heroes, and a genetically engineered dinosaur from the 87th Century, so it’s pure awesome from that standpoint.     

 

We Love Wednesdays starts today, September 1st and to be sure we kick it off right we will need to do a little redecorating. Come to the Teen Lounge today at 3:00 p.m. to re-decorate the Teen Lounge windows.  Show off your artistic abilities or just plain shout outs to your friends! Either way, we need you to help keep this place looking cool.

Karl Shoemaker has a plan: Operation Be Normal.  It starts with avoiding his best friend, and ends with getting through the semester without getting put in therapy.  Karl has been in mandatory group therapy (called the madman underground) with the same kids since forever, and he is sick of it: the same stories, the same problems, year after year.  The problem is that with five jobs, an erratic, alcoholic mother, more pet cats than he can count, and a reputation for being a “psycho,” it’s going to be difficult for Karl to have a normal year.  When he is offered what amounts to a "get out of jail free" card for therapy, his fellow madmen think he's turned on them.  After everything they have shared, it is considered to be a first rate betrayal, and one even Karl is not sure he should commit.

Tales of the Madman Underground is one of the best books I’ve read recently.  Karl is a great character: funny, sweet, and full of rage.  This is a story about friendship and family, and the relationships that form when adults can’t be trusted.  Karl and his friends have very difficult lives—it’s not unusual for them to find themselves sleeping in cars or sneaking into basements because their homes are not safe.  Sometimes the madmen make hard choices or bad choices, but they are there for each other.  They stand up and help each other make the best of what are sometimes horrible life situations.   That is the root of Karl’s dilemma: does grabbing hold of normalcy mean abandoning his friends and his only support system?
 

What if Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde really existed, and their families, Jekell’s descended from a brother or cousin, and Hydes’ descended from the man himself, continued down the generations, carrying family secrets and family traits? 

Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde are both in the same advanced Chemistry class, when their teacher announces a prestigious chemistry contest with a large cash prize.  Jill’s dad was a brilliant chemist, but his recent death has left her family without much extra money, and Jill may not be able to afford college.  Tristan doesn’t care about the money, the prestige, or anything except keeping his violent dreams at bay.  When he hears that Jill’s family may have some old formulas, he agrees to team up with Jill: Jekel and Hyde recreating the Jekell and Hyde experiments…  the gimmick might be enough to win Jill the prize money, but Tristan secretly plans to use the project to cure his violent urges before they get out of control.  As they work together, late at night, quiet and studious Jill finds herself more and more attracted to Tristian, and Tristan finds in Jill something to hang on to as his sanity slips further away...

Jekel Loves Hyde is a romance, suspense and mystery all rolled into one.  I didn’t think it was as funny as Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Fantaskey’s other novel) but it’s got an interesting plot and enough of a twist at the end that it will keep you guessing.  Horror/romance fans, this book is for you!