Womack, Jack    

Category: Dystopian future
Summary: Twelve-year-old Lola Hart's family life decays along with the urban landscape around her. When her parents lose their jobs and move from Upper East Side Manhattan to Harlem, Lola finds herself spending more and more time with a local street gang. Amid these crises, Lola also discovers that she likes girls.

Zettel, Sarah    

Category: Alien society
Summary: This was an excellent book about a planet (ruled by females) that is mired in civil war and the attempts made by humans to intervene. The situation is realistically complex. Zettel is an excellent writer and I recommend all her books.