Ruth Wallace knows she can only hide the scars on her arms for so long. Who wears long sleeves all summer long? Cutting herself doesn't make Ruth's problems disappear, but at least it helps her cope. Her dad is a nightmare, her mother seems lost in a medicated dreamland, and her brother Caleb...  more

Ruth Wallace knows she can only hide the scars on her arms for so long. Who wears long sleeves all summer long? Cutting herself doesn't make Ruth's problems disappear, but at least it helps her cope. Her dad is a nightmare, her mother seems lost in a medicated dreamland, and her brother Caleb can't handle their family life any more than she can. Abby, one of Ruth's good friends, is getting suspicious. Fortunately, Glen Collins hasn't noticed yet. But then again, he's a new student and probably doesn't want to sound mean. Ruth needs to find some way, any way, to heal her scars -- the ones she hides and the ones she can't -- before something terrible happens.

With the possible exception of Callie Price, Zoe Stepanovich feels like the only virgin on Earth. The new girl in school, Shawna Frye (from Deep Green), has all these stories about sex, but they only make Zoe more confused. Am I ready for sex and everything that goes with it? When football...  more

With the possible exception of Callie Price, Zoe Stepanovich feels like the only virgin on Earth. The new girl in school, Shawna Frye (from Deep Green), has all these stories about sex, but they only make Zoe more confused. Am I ready for sex and everything that goes with it? When football star Jamie Allen asks her out and pressures her to sleep with him, Zoe can't help but wonder if now might be the right time. Meanwhile, Nate Stein, a guy Zoe has had something of a secret crush on since middle school, tries to persuade her to think twice before giving herself to Jamie. One night, Shawna hooks up with Jamie and her dark secret comes into light, changing everyone's attitude about sex -- especially Zoe's.

When Jordan starts to make new, more popular friends, Kara feels totally burned by her former best friend's icy rejection. These dark blue days are almost more than she can take, until she makes a life-changing discovery. To get there, however, Kara must make some major choices about who and...  more

When Jordan starts to make new, more popular friends, Kara feels totally burned by her former best friend's icy rejection. These dark blue days are almost more than she can take, until she makes a life-changing discovery. To get there, however, Kara must make some major choices about who and what she's going to believe in, and if she'll ever trust anybody -- including God -- ever again.

Last year at this time, Jordan never would have thought her junior year would be like this: stuck in a twisted love triangle with Shawna Frye and Timothy Lawrence. But when Timothy broke up with Shawna -- to date Jordan! -- what else could she have done? When Shawna lures Timothy back,...  more

Last year at this time, Jordan never would have thought her junior year would be like this: stuck in a twisted love triangle with Shawna Frye and Timothy Lawrence. But when Timothy broke up with Shawna -- to date Jordan! -- what else could she have done? When Shawna lures Timothy back, Jordan feels absolutely green with envy -- so much so that she considers doing anything to get him back. Anything. Eventually, her frustration draws her back to her former best friend, Kara, who knows what it's like to be betrayed. She introduces Jordan to someone who can change her whole life.

Seventeen-year-old Morgan Bergstrom thinks her life is as bad as it can get. But it's about to get a whole lot worse. Her close friend Jason Harding has just killed himself, and no one seems to know why. She deals with her own grief as she tries to unravel the clues that led to Jason's...  more

Seventeen-year-old Morgan Bergstrom thinks her life is as bad as it can get. But it's about to get a whole lot worse. Her close friend Jason Harding has just killed himself, and no one seems to know why. She deals with her own grief as she tries to unravel the clues that led to Jason's heartbreaking suicide. Often blaming herself for missing signs he might have given her, Morgan questions the meaning of life and death and God. She even considers the possibility of following Jason's lead and ending her own life. As she struggles with her grief, Morgan must make her life's ultimate decision -- before it's too late.

It's okay to go to drinking parties if you're going there to help others, right? And besides, one little beer can't hurt. Well, at least that's what Amber Conrad -- Pastor Conrad's daughter -- tells herself. Amber blows off the good advice of her friends Simi and Lisa, insisting they're "just...  more

It's okay to go to drinking parties if you're going there to help others, right? And besides, one little beer can't hurt. Well, at least that's what Amber Conrad -- Pastor Conrad's daughter -- tells herself. Amber blows off the good advice of her friends Simi and Lisa, insisting they're "just jealous." But before she knows it, all her little white lies add up to major self-deception, and Amber finds herself in a heap of trouble.

All in all, Hannah Johnson is pretty happy as a missionary kid. In Papua New Guinea, no one worries about fancy clothes or credit card limits -- everyone has other things to think about. But when Hannah visits her cousin Vanessa for a summer in America, everything changes. All that glitters...  more

All in all, Hannah Johnson is pretty happy as a missionary kid. In Papua New Guinea, no one worries about fancy clothes or credit card limits -- everyone has other things to think about. But when Hannah visits her cousin Vanessa for a summer in America, everything changes. All that glitters isn't gold. Vanessa and her friends try to catch Hannah up on all the latest fashion trends, but in the end, Hannah feels hopeless. She doesn't think she'll ever be able to keep up with the rich girls -- but that doesn't stop her from trying. In the process, Hannah is forced to come to grips with what she values most: beauty on the inside, or beauty on the outside.

"All spirituality is good, right?" So says Heather, a teenage girl-next-door who has recently begun studying new age ideas. But her newfound curiosity is alienating her from others, including a judgmental best friend who has written her off as a witch. Isolated and lonely, Heather soon...  more

"All spirituality is good, right?" So says Heather, a teenage girl-next-door who has recently begun studying new age ideas. But her newfound curiosity is alienating her from others, including a judgmental best friend who has written her off as a witch. Isolated and lonely, Heather soon encounters fellow seekers, including her new stepmother, who are far more accepting and encouraging than her Christian friends. Yes she soon learns that her 'harmless' spiritual journey is anything but. As she falls more deeply into the occult, Heather endures shocking betrayals, but discovers hope in a long-lost letter that reconnects her to the truth she's been seeking.

In the food court at the Greenville Mall, Jessica LeCroix drops a bomb: "I'm a lesbian." Ramie Grant cannot believe her ears. Jessi! Her best friend, her teammate... a homosexual? It's all way too much for Ramie to handle. It's only a matter of time before others on the basketball team find...  more

In the food court at the Greenville Mall, Jessica LeCroix drops a bomb: "I'm a lesbian." Ramie Grant cannot believe her ears. Jessi! Her best friend, her teammate... a homosexual? It's all way too much for Ramie to handle. It's only a matter of time before others on the basketball team find out. Quickly, little jokes become vicious attacks, making Jessica more reluctant to share an even bigger secret. Ramie and fellow teammate BJ want to do the right thing, except so far, everything they've done has backfired. In the end, Ramie must decide if she will stand by Jessica's side or turn her back on a friend in need.

So much for blending in. After moving with her mom from their hometown of Boston, Reagan Mercer is just trying to fit in at her new high school. By winning a coveted spot on the cheerleading squad, Reagan accidentally bumps popularity poster child Kendra Farnsworth from the lineup and makes a...  more

So much for blending in. After moving with her mom from their hometown of Boston, Reagan Mercer is just trying to fit in at her new high school. By winning a coveted spot on the cheerleading squad, Reagan accidentally bumps popularity poster child Kendra Farnsworth from the lineup and makes a new A-list enemy. Life at home isn't much better as Reagan struggles to deal with her grandmother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Things begin to look up after Kendra decides to play nice and make Reagan a part of her elite crew. But Reagan finds that acceptance has a steep price, as her new friends make life miserable for anyone who gets in their way. And after a tragic accident and drinking party gone too far, can Reagan still make the right choice? Melody Carlson presents the final chapter in her wildly popular TrueColors series. Filled with provocative stories and smart humor, Melody offers characters who ring true and connect with teen girls.