The Book Thief, Markus Zusak; Alfred A. Knopf

“Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel—a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.”
Robin’s Note: Markus Zusak based this title on his parents’ memories of World War II in Germany as civilians, and his poetic but simple writing style makes this an extraordinary look at the Holocaust with Death as your narrator.  Zusak succeeds in making the familiar stories out of WWII Germany new, and newly horrifying, even as the remarkable language and gentle progression of the story wrap the reader in Liesel’s family and town.  Never saccharine and occasionally brutal, this beautifully written novel appeals to a broad range of readers, from teens to adults.

Inda, Sherwood Smith; DAW Books, Inc.

“Indevan-Dal is the second son of the Prince and Princess of Choraed Elgaer, destined to become his elder brother Tanrid’s Shield Arm-his military champion. Like all second sons, he is to be privately trained at home by Tanrid, the brother whose lands he will one day protect. When the King’s Voice comes to summon Inda to the Military Academy, he might well feel foreboding, or even fear-war is imminent-yet youthful Inda feels only excitement. But there are things that Tanrid hadn’t prepared him for, and Inda will soon learn that the greatest threats to his safety will not come from foreign enemies, but from supposed allies within his own country.”
Robin’s Note: If you want a fantasy world that’s very complex and vividly built, Sherwood Smith’s series (officially for adults, but has lots of teen appeal) is a great one to get lost in.  Smith has a strong sense of how complex a world can be (her books are all set in the same world, in fact, but at different times and in different nations, much like Tolkien’s meticulous world and language building.)  This series is four books total, and is now complete: Inda, The Fox, King’s Shield, and Treason’s Shore.  The primary tale concerns Inda and his king, Evred, following their coming of age and featuring intelligent strategy, epic battles, piracy, and each character’s friendships and loves.  The military tale (in this first book) is the one that hooked me—smart, tense, and full of loyalty and betrayal.  One note: these books are long, and she takes her time building up the world—mainly that’s to envelop the reader in a new place and make it familiar—but they do take some time to get going, so have patience.