Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White

How would you feel if your mother was the most powerful person in the free world and she couldn't even save you from kidnappers? Meghan Powers was kidnapped and handcuffed in a mine shaft in the middle of nowhere and her mother, the President of the United States, refused to negotiate with the kidnappers. Meg, already with her knee smashed by the man she calls "the guy," was left to smash the bones in her hand to pull it free and escape. But this book isn't just about what happened in the thirteen days that she was missing, it's about her recovery, discovering herself and starting over again.

"...Meg embarks on her first year of college with the courage, wit, and strength of character seldom seen in so young a heroine. The novel is most effective in dealing with her chilling recollections of what happened and her fear that it will happen again....The dynamics of a family coping with crisis are also well defined....Meg shows readers that despite any problem they may encounter, life is still worth fighting for. All is all, this is an intense, suspenseful, and stirring read."--School Library Journal

Though the book is a massive 706 pages, you'll read every one feeling the intense urge for Meg to pull it all together and just generally for all of the first family and Meg's friends as they deal with life with a political celebrity. This isn't a truly political piece, but you do get a shot of life in the fishbowl at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I finished this in four days, but take your time, enjoy the snapshots of college life and root for the toughest, politically-savviest heroine you'll ever meet in a teen novel. Go, Meg!