The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

The cover art for Heather Hepler's, The Cupcake Queen drew me in to read this light and fun book. Penny arrives at Hog's Hollow, with her mom after her parents separate unexpectedly. She leaves her friends, Dad, and life back in NYC and tries to cope with being new. Mix in "mean girl" Charity along with a new bakery and a new boy and you have a great young teen story about what it's like to truly be the new person in school while dealing with a bit of family drama.

The story starts off a bit slow, but the middle and ending draw you into a great story about finding your way without the fluff of normal stories. Also, cupcake lovers will enjoy hearing about Penny's creative baking strategies and ideas. The author also wrote some great titles that you should explore. Here is a link to the author's website: 

Enjoy! http://www.heatherhepler.com/books/ (courtesy of the author) 

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

The author Isabel Quintero, brings readers a funny book that chronicles a Mexican American girl during her senior year named Gabi. She is not your normal run of the mill high school teen; she is spunky, real, loves her tacos and stays strong throughout her life's challenges such as dealing with her pregnant best friend, her meth addicted dad, her gay best friend and her Tia Bertha ( aka the hypocrite). This book will have you laughing and crying all in one sitting.
I loved the way the author didn't sugar coat things or have the protagonist seek out help for an easy fix. She kept the story fit alongside how teens of today act when they think they can handle things alone. The author also touches what it is like for a young woman to be Mexican American living in California and all that that can entail.
This is a great book for graduating seniors, or any teen who wants to read something new and fresh!