Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

  Out of the Easy is a novel set amidst the backdrop of steamy, sultry 1950's New Orleans (the French Quarter to be exact).  Josie is the daughter of a local prostitute whose years of neglect and mental abuse had Josie striking out on her own at a very young age.  Josie lives on top of the bookshop where she works.  She also cleans the quarter's most famous brothel every morning.  Josie is brilliant, but a victim of circumstance until she concocts a scheme that may just get her Out of the Easy.
  This book is wonderfully vibrant, filled with interesting, believable characters.  It's surprising and hopeful, suspenseful with a great sense of mystery until the very end.  I highly recommend this book for mature young adults and plain old adults alike. 

Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

From the cover and title, I was expecting some froufrou, willowy, Jane Austin chick fest. Surprising then to find - in the first few pages - some raw, gritty imagery set in modern day San Francisco.  An 18 year old orphan is being turned out of onto the street, having been unsuccessfully placed in several unsavory foster homes during her life.  Callous, spiteful, and mean, she begins her life on the outside with nothing but several layers of clothing, a chip on her shoulder, and a prodigious knowledge of flowers and their Victorian meanings. An amazing story unfolds of her life on the street - confronting her tortured past while forging an uncertain future. An unexpected page turner.

The Cutting Room Floor by Dawn Klehr

  The Cutting Room Floor is a suspenseful YA thriller that focuses on two best friends, Desmond and Riley.  Riley is an aspiring actress while Desmond is destined to become a director.  When the book opens we find that Riley has lost her favorite teacher, Ms. Dunn, in a heinous murder.  While navigating through other life struggles, Riley tries to crack the case.  Desmond is her shoulder to cry on but he has an agenda of his own.  There are many twists and turns along the way with a surprisingly realistic ending.
  The chapters alternate between the points of view of Desmond and Riley, with Desmond's chapters frequently opening in film script form.  Some people don't care for the back and forth of alternating points of view, but I didn't find it distracting in this particular story.  At some points I found myself putting the book down because I couldn't take the suspense (the reader knows more than the characters in the book), so if you're looking for something to get your blood pumping in this cold weather try The Cutting Room Floor.