Joly Herman

age 13+ Strong teen braves awful family in boozy, intriguing sequel. Parents need to know that We Fell Apart is the compelling, darkly romantic third book in the We Were Liars series by E. Lockhart. Mature themes include underage drinking, hooking up, and talk about pill and cocaine use by adults. Violence includes non-consensual medical treatment, a grown man who threatens a teen girl with physical harm, and violence against animals (and perpetrated by animals).

age 15+ Stoner mom's antics cloud otherwise fun, ghostly mystery. Parents need to know that Aspen is the story of a teen girl in Colorado named Aspen who's in a car accident in which a popular high school girl dies and then appears to Aspen as a ghost. Aspen's single mom, Ninny, is a model of irresponsible behavior. She smokes a lot of pot, has sex with guys while Aspen is in hearing distance -- including on the dining room table -- and leaves her daughter for weeks at a time.

age 13+ A privileged life goes askew in haunting summer mystery. Parents need to know that National Book Award finalist E. Lockhart's We Were Liars is a mystery involving privileged families at their summer retreat near Martha's Vineyard. Violence lurks beneath the golden life that Cady and her family enjoy on Beechwood Island, and there's an accident that causes death. Arguments, feuds, and revenge are fueled by questions of who will inherit the Sinclair fortune.