By The Time You Read This I'll Be Dead by Julie Ann Peters

Set over twenty three days, we learn of how suicidal Daelyn signs up to Through The Light, a website where people discuss their trauma's leading them to their suicide attempts. She also gets graphic into a list of ways to suicide she creates during the count down till her next attempt at the end of the twenty three days.

For Daelyn, we learn of the bullying from school for her size as she was classed as obese and so the girls made fun of and excluded her. She was also physically assaulted by a gang of boys at her last school. She also remains mute and tells the woes of going away to fat camp.

Now, at a new school, very quiet and withdrawn she hangs around or is followed a lot of the time by Santana a goth/alternative guy who has a pet rat who is persistent in getting to talk with her. He also confides in her about his own battle - cancer. He's also preparing a memoir video which he asks her to watch.

I thought this book was very intriguing and keeps you guessing obviously as to if she's going to commit suicide or not, get with the guy, or not as well as just what led her to this point in time. Sometimes it did seem a big dragging but it is a short read over all.

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Mark and his best mate/wannabe boyfriend Ryan are two teens who go to gay pride together. While there Mark gets scouted for a modeling company but as he let's loose at the party full of strangers, he sees Kate from school.

Kate is there with Lehna, her best friend as well as June and Uma. Lehna wants to introduce Kate to her cousin Violet another lesbian whom Kate fancies but has never met.

Kate and Mark get talking at the pride and so starts a great friendship between the two as they try and get the love interests each so wants, successfully and unsuccessfully. We see how the two are there to support each other as Mark supports Kate when her artwork starts to get displayed and sold sharing in her joy despite his misery friendship rules.

It was a heart warming and affirming book showing how friendship can blossom unexpectedly and love can be tricky especially young, gay love too but shows how celebrated the gay community is.