Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

At the completion of Year Twelve examinations, it's the kind of night a teen will never forget: adventure, hooking up, parties, danger, and more. Lucy wants to find the graffiti artist she's been obsessing over. Jazz wants the kind of life-experience that will drive her acting to the next level. Ed and Leo need to find some cash, right now.

This is a 12-hours-long, all-night adventure story - a compression of time where, amazingly, the whole world shifts a bit on its axis: illusions destroyed, futures changed, biases revealed. The chapters alternate between Ed and Lucy, so we get different perspectives on the drama and much of the back-story revealed through their thoughts.

While the premise is much like "Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist," this one holds up nicely to the comparisons without being a copy-cat. I loved these characters, and would like to see more of their stories.

Border Songs by Jim Lynch

The war on drugs and paranoia about the country's largest unguarded border bring an unlikely superhero in this book. An innate sense of attention to detail and change makes Brandon Vanderkool a phenom in his new role as a Border Patrol officer in his hometown in Washington state. His linebacker size makes the resulting arrests easy. Too bad he's really more interested in watching the birds and building spontaneous nature sculptures.

In a small town, it's easy to get pigeon-holed - and early in life, Brandon was labeled "dumb" and "weird." Even his dad can't get past those labels. Brandon's social awkwardness has made it tough for him to find a girlfriend, make personal connections essential for friendships, or even really find a place in life. Until now.

This is an excellent novel - lyrical, strange, touching and funny. You can't help but root for Brandon to somehow come out ahead, and his small town is just chock full of the kind of characters you know from real life.