White Cat

Black, Holly. White Cat (The Curse Workers, Book 1)
Cassel finds himself on the roof of his dormitory, after he has dreamt of a white cat that stole his tongue. The school, thinking he is a liability, sends him to live with his grandfather and brothers, because his mother is in jail. The complication? Cassel's relatives are all workers, who can touch people and steal their memories, influence their emotions, or kill them. Cassel is not a worker. Or is he? Years previously, he had woken up to find that he had killed his best friend, a girl named Lila. When the dreams of the cat persist, he is sure that a stray cat whom he adopts is actually Lila herself. Could it be that Cassel is a worker as well, and just has not been told?

Black has an interesting writing style, and this was deliciously dark and convoluted, but it definitely is more of a YA book. It's not just the occasional reference to drinking or kissing, it's more the psychological tone. Instead of saving the world, Cassel is interested more in saving himself. This would be a fine book for high school, but the audience in the middle school would be more limited.