Saturday, March 23, 2013

No Safety in Numbers

by Dayna Lorentz

Summary:
It was supposed to be just a typical day at the mall. Thousands of people just going about their own business buying shoes, toys, seeing a movie, having lunch. But when a biological bomb is discovered in the air conditioning system, the mall suddenly becomes a prison for those inside as the authorities try to contain whatever might have been released.  This is the story of 5 teens who suddenly find themselves quarantined, trapped with a virus whose potential no one knows. It's the story of the very best and very worst that people act when everything is on the line. It's a story of death, but also perhaps, of survival.

Review:
There aren't too many teen books written exploring the possibility of biological weapons, but this book does so in a way that is both appropriate and interesting. The book alternates between the perspective of 5 teens, none of whom really know each other. They struggle to not only understand what is happening, but also to survive and thrive in this environment where it is everyone for themselves. The book does a good job of portraying the desperation that can happen in a situation like this, and the ways that the extremes of human nature come out when people are faced with life and death decisions.  It's a good book, probably best for older teens because it's serious nature.

Genre: Survivalist Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade

Shadowlands

by Kate Brian

Summary:
Rory was the first girl who escaped serial killer Steven Nell. Now, hidden by the FBI with her family as they try and track him down, she has to pretend that everything is ok. That she's not terrified every time she steps outside. That she's not plagued with visions of what could happened. But their new community might not be as safe as they had hoped. When Rory starts to hear Nell saying her name in crowded rooms, and finding his things outside their new house, she realizes that maybe no where at all is safe enough to protect her.

Review:
The first of a planned trilogy, Shadowlands is excellently written. The engaging plot grabs the reader from the get go. Rory and her family have already dealt with heartbreak (her mother died of cancer a few years before) and this new incident seems to highlight everything that is wrong with her family now.  Rory and Darcy are great characters, very realistically portrayed sisters who get along but also don't. I saw the the twist at the end coming, but it was a little different than I expected. Overall a great read for teens that like suspense stories.

Genre: Suspense
Age Level: 10th Grade

Monday, March 11, 2013

Three Black Swans

by Caroline B Cooney

Summary:
It all started because Missy's science teacher gave them the assignment to create a hoax. Because Missy thought it would be a great idea to convince everyone that her cousin Claire was actually her identical twin. They'd been told forever how much they looked alike, so they'd be able to convince people easily. But when they do, and when even their closest friends can't tell them apart, they realize that maybe they've stumbled onto more than just a coincidence. Maybe they've stumbled onto a secret that their family has been trying to conceal for years.

Review:
As a big fan of Cooney's other works, I was excited to try one of her newer books. Unfortunately this did not live up to my expectations. The story itself is good, if a bit predictable, but the writing itself seemed like it was trying to hard. The characters were not well developed, or not well developed as modern teens. The book read too much like something that was written years ago but someone tried to modernize but didn't know what was really happening at the time. Probably best for younger teens, since older ones will find the sanitized characters too bland.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 6th Grade

Belles

by Jen Calonita

Summary:
Isabelle had never had a lot of family, but after her mother died in a car crash, and her grandmother's dementia got too bad for her to live with her, she finds herself living with distant relatives she's never met. Relatives who also happen to be a state senator and incrediblly wealthy. Isabelle now finds herself living a lifestyle she's never dreamed of, attending a fancy prep school. But as she's finding out, all that glitter's isn't gold. Living a life of luxury can contain ugliness and secrets too.

Review:
Slightly predictable at times, Belles is overall a great reat. Isabelle has to contend with mean girls at her new school, a new home life complete with 3 cousins and an aunt and uncle, and suddenly can afford to buy whatever she wants. The book ends on a slight twist, making you reach for the sequel immediately. A good read for girls who like realistic fiction, or books with happy endings.

Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 8th grade

Crash and Burn

by Michael Hassan

Summary:
Crash didn't set out that morning to be a hero. He didn't intend to be the person who saved 1000 people from his classmate David. He wasn't even planning on being at school. But David had other plans, plans that were the direct result of their ten years of knowing each other.  Plans that dated even back to their first meeting in elementary school, to their first escapade where David earned his nickname Burn. Told from Crash's perspective and alternating between before and after the event, he retells the events that led up to the moment it was just them, Crash and Burn, surrounded by bombs and guns, each trying to out think the other.

Reviews:
Crash and Burn didn't grab me at first, but by the end I was reading it as quickly as I could to find out what happens. Crash is a brash character who goes through life like a bull in a china shop, but at the same time is someone you really want to be friends with. Reflecting on his relationship with David, each story reveals a little more of how they both ended up in a room together. The book does not focus as much on the attempted massacre itself, but instead on how everything built up to it, and how it changed Crash's life afterwards. The book is well written and engaging, but due to the content (drugs, drinking, sex, suicide, and an attempted school massacre) is probably best for older teens.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade

Monday, March 4, 2013

Origin

by Jessica Khoury

Summary:
Pia has always known her destiny. A product of five generations of work, she was born immortal, the first of her kind. Hidden deep in the jungle, she has been groomed her entire life for a life of science. She will be the beginning of a new race, working to create more immortal beings who will live forever in physical perfection. And that's all she's ever wanted. Until the night of her 17th birthday, when she discovers a hole in the fence that protects her compound from the jungle outside. A hole that allows her to briefly escape where she meets Eio.  A hole that shows her that immortality is one thing, but an eternity alone is a life not worth living.

Review:
This book surprised me. I was not expecting it to be all that fantastic, but Pia is a likable character who has to break away from everything she has ever known. She has always been told she was perfect, not able to be hurt, but it comes down to it she chooses a normal life. Her curiosity about the world is catching, and the love story with Eio is a great add.  Overall a great read for any teen who likes more realistic science fiction.

Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade