We are "fangirling" over these eight contemporary fiction heroines who face tough circumstances, but aren't afraid to be themselves and fight for what they want. Gunslinger Girl-PityArmed with two pistols and yearning for a fresh start, Pity is not your typical character. She leaves her family and compound behind and embarks to start a new life. She gets swept up in the glittering lights of Cessation and before you know it is involved in the theater program, where it isn't all fun and games. Forced to use her shooting skills in some unorthodox manners, Pity is then faced with larger scale questions-like what price is too big to pay for her freedom?Dread Nation-JaneJane is born into a unique time-two days before the dead roam the battlefields of the Civil War. This turns out to be the least of her problems. After completing her schooling in both combat and etiquette, Jane arrives home to Kentucky and realizes she is intertwined in a conspiracy-one in which her life is at risk.The Cruel Prince-JudeJude didn't have an easy childhood. She was only seven years old when her parents were murdered and she along with her two sisters were stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie. Once she arrives at Court, she learns she has to earn her place in an order to do so, she is going to have to defy Cardan, the handsome, wicked and young high king.The Children of Blood and Bone-ZelieZelie is on a mission to bring back magic and overthrow the monarchy in this dazzling debut from Tomi Adeyemi. Faced with tons of obstacles and even more danger, Zelie is forced to face the hard truth in that she could be the greatest danger of all as she grapples to control her own powers and her feelings for the enemy.The Belles--CamelliaCamellia is a belle. She is able to control the coveted aspect of beauty and bestow it among the citizens of Orleans. When Camellia and the rest of her Belle sisters arrive at court, she realizes that not everything is as it seems and she is faced with a tough choice. Save the Queen and the ways of Orleans or save her sisters, the Belles?The Hazelwood--AliceEverybody knows fairytales aren't real-including the 17-year-old protagonist, Alice. When Alice's grandmother, the revered author of dark fairy tales suddenly dies, the whole family is in for a surprise. To make matters worse Alice's mom gets kidnapped by a creature from her grandmother's book and it is up to Alice to save her. Since Alice has steered clear of her grandmother's crazy fans, it is time for her to embrace them and enter The Hazelwood, her grandmother's estate and the entrance into the magical world. The Astonishing Color of After--LeighLeigh is convinced that her mother is a bird. After her mother commits suicide, Leigh is positive that her mother has returned to this world in the form of a bird and has messages for her. In order to find her mother, Leigh ventures to Taiwan to meet her mother's parents (her grandparents) and along the way uncovers family secrets, magic, ghosts and so much more.The Hate U Give--StarrStarr moves between two worlds and two lives-her private high school world and her home world in her poor neighborhood. When one of Starr's best friends gets shot by a police officer in front of her, her world turns upside down. Soon her best friend's death turns into a national headline. People are protesting and Starr and her family are getting threatened to keep quiet but the only one who knows what truly happened that night is Starr herself.
