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Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
By Allie Costa

High school is hard enough, but add on the pressure of being the younger sister of a "Supernerd" as well as the only Asian or Muslim in her class and it's no wonder that Nina Khan feels a little out-of-sorts. Though Nina loves and appreciates her parents, she wishes they would let her have more of a social life. Though they are very kind, her parents are pretty strict when it comes to things like dating. She's not allowed to date, nor can she go to parties or school dances. When her friends are out and about on Saturday nights, Nina's expected to stay home and study.

The majority of residents in their little town of Deer Hook, New York are white. Nina and her older sister Sonia, who is now at college studying to become a doctor, are first-generation Pakistani-Americans. Her parents both came from middle-class families in Pakistan. They are intelligent, confident adults who regularly encourage their daughters to stay true to their Muslim values.

Since first grade, Nina has found solace in her two awesome best friends, Helena, a vibrant, ever-cheerful redhead, and Bridget, a tall blonde who is usually clumsy yet extremely graceful on the ski slopes. Now juniors in high school, the three girls are as close as ever. While Helena and Bridget can date whomever they like, Nina can't bring up the nerve to ask out Asher, the new boy on campus. Her tongue gets tied around him, and she knows her parents would disapprove of her dating an Italian boy.

Nina's first person narrative is insightful and allows the readers to learn of (and relate to) the fears and worries which she can't vocalize. Similar to the chapter markings in Everything Beautiful in the World by Lisa Levchuk, each brief chapter in Skunk Girl bears a title appropriate to the events which take place in that section's pages. The book's title comes from the stripe of hair Nina has running down the center of her back - something that her crush sees, much to her mortification, because it starts at the nape of her neck.

This is yet another YA novel I will recommend to both teens and adults. This recommendation is not only due to debut novelist Karim's heartfelt writing, but also because the story takes place in the early nineties and thus will definitely appeal to readers who were teens at that time. (The music references will bring you back there in a second. At home, Nina listens to a Smiths mix tape; when the song Jump Around plays during a big party scene, it will start playing in your head, too.)

Hot Girl by Dream Jordan
By Allie Costa

Fourteen-year-old Kate, a foster kid living in Brooklyn, is fairly bored and lonely this summer because her best friend is far away, on a trip in South Africa. Kate makes a new friend named Najeelah, a girl who dresses to impress and has boyfriends galore.
When Kate gets a makeover and new-old (hand-me-down) wardrobe from Najeelah, she gets a total confidence boost - enough to start flirting with her crush and long-time friend Charles. But when Najeelah's risky behavior puts Kate in some tricky situations, Kate must decide whether her new friend is worth the risk.

Kate is world-weary due to her early-in-life parental abandonment and subsequent bouncing from foster home to foster home. The damage she has done to herself and others (such as her time in a gang) is revealed in flashbacks here and there when she considers where she's been - and where she's going. Her recent efforts to become a better student have also made her a better person. Her best friend Felicia and her social worker Tisha are very supportive, and her current foster parents are good people - even if Kate doesn't always see eye-to-eye with her foster mom.

Kate's summer story is a very good one, and I recommend it, especially to those who read this month's readergirlz selection, Kendra by Coe Booth. I thank Doret for recommending this book to me.

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