X's mission is to destroy as many lives as possible, except their own.

A manages multiple lives while tenuously grasping onto a girl.

Rhiannon is exhausted and confused by tracking down a morphing body and soul.

X likes inhabiting healthy, strong bodies: an 18-year-old wrestler, for example, which is better than being an elderly, disabled woman, by far. Luckily for X, any damage inflicted on others or themselves no longer matters as long as X can find a new body in time; if the body currently occupied ceases to exist, X will be obliterated. This is the existential fear that X lives with, using violence and any other means necessary to get what they want. The needs and desires of others simply litter X's path with obstacles.

A, by contrast, is careful and considerate about the people whose bodies they inhabit. The character tries not to get into situations, or say or do things, that will cause problems once the body's typical inhabitant returns. There is a one-day rule for the bodies that A inhabits, with a roll of the dice determining a good or bad day. All tests sent prior to midnight are deleted and searching for, and maintaining contact with, a certain girl is the overarching goal.

Rhiannon, a real-life girl, does not understand why she keeps chasing after a chameleon person, though she has found a way to rid herself of her boyfriend, Alexander. She attempts to explain to A what it is like to inhabit the same old body day after day, but has limited success. Whomever's body A is inhabiting on any given day, the essence of A shines through.

Someday by David Levithan, 2018

Not surprisingly, this is another brilliant work by David Levithan, the third of the Every Day series. I absolutely loved this trilogy, and I am eagerly awaiting Levithan's next book. Teen Author Festival, organized by Levithan, occurs in NYC during the last week of March.

David Levithan's website

Teen Author Festival 2019
 

Mina enjoys living in the Auburn neighborhood of Sydney, Australia, until everything changes. She is not quite on board with moving to a new area of the city, but her mother insists. Mum does not want her daughter commuting hours every day to attend Victoria College, the school for which Mina has luckily received a prestigious scholarship. Baba and Mina and Mum's lives are completely uprooted. Baba buys a new halal restaurant. Mum searches for a new job in a new school. Mina attends Victoria College, for better or worse.

Enter boy. Michael.

Michael's parents love Australia and white culture. His father founded Aussie Values, a hate group that rails against immigrants who are "terrorists taking over" and "stealing Aussie jobs." They believe other cultures should take a backseat to the dominant Australian culture. Michael's mother is offended when people born outside of Australia have pride in their ethnic heritage. 

Girl meets boy.

Mina's heart thumps when she sees Michael, but a culture clash looms near. Michael and his younger brother do not agree with their relations' bigoted ways. But the ideologies still hurt Mina. Aussie Values holds demonstrations directly outside of Baba's Afghani restaurant. A lack of respect for Middle Eastern ways threatens to tear the potential young lovers apart before they even join hands.

The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah, 2017

This is a most excellent book about homophobia.

Randa Abdel-Fattah's website

Books about Islamophobia
 

Faith Logan grew up underneath a shadow. Everywhere she went and everything she did felt like it was missing a piece. Of something.

A sister.

Laurel was abducted when Faith was four years old, and nothing has felt quite the same since.

Then, the long-lost girl returns to the family as a 19-year-old woman. An adult with many problems. Of course, the family is delighted with her safe return, but the trauma she has endured left an indelible impact on her psyche. It is a challenge for her to adjust to more normal life circumstances. Luckily, Laurel's sister and parents make the most valiant of attempts to engineer the most perfect environment possible. 

Faith is overjoyed to have her sister back, but her life has gone on in Laurel's absence. She is dealing with the typical teenage angst and developmental hurdles. She and her boyfriend, Thomas, have taken the next steps in their relationship, and she is unsure what the future will hold for them. Along the way, her best friend forever, Martha, provides commentary on the course of Faith's life. 

Everyone wants Laurel to be happy. Everyone wants Laurel to succeed. Suddenly, Faith's life appears to be on the back burner as people respond to Laurel's issues, and Laurel's needs. Always. That, and all the fame and notoriety, can be a bit much for a little sister to endure, but she is glad to have her sister with her again.

The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke, 2016

This is a fascinating and realistic read. I am impressed with this author. 

Books on kidnapping

Cat Clarke's website

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children