by Carrie Ryan
Summary:
Mary has lived her entire life in a village surrounded by forest. A forest she has never set foot in. A forest overrun by the Unconsecrated. But then the Unconsecrated finally break through the wall protecting her village, and only she and a few others escape into a protected passageway that goes through the forest. Now they are forced to move forward, to see if anyone else has survived the return which turned so many people into the undead. But the forest of hands and teeth hides many secrets, and few will survive learning them.
Review:
I am not a huge zombie book fan, and for whatever reason didn't know this book was about zombies when I started it. That said it also took me about half the book to realize the Unconsecrated were zombies. The book uses them as peripheral characters, though ones who have a constant impact on the actions of Mary and the rest. It's very well written, and definitely a great read for teens looking for a not typical series. The second two books were great as well!
Genre: Zombie Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
The Program
by Suzanne Young
Summary:
Teen suicide has become a national epidemic. There's been no way to stop it, until the Program started. It was a way to help teens forget why they wanted to commit suicide, to give them a clean slate to start from. But in reality it stripped them of everything that made them them. It took crucial memories and left holes in their lives. Sloane's brother committed suicide. She's lost friends. She's been pegged as at risk by the Program, and it's only a matter of time before they come.
Review:
While the book's premise is about teen suicide, the book doesn't really address it in any real way. Suicide is viewed as a disease (like the flu, etc), which makes the book slightly less dark than it might be otherwise, though it is by no means a light read. It is a bit of a departure from your typical adults making decisions that will negatively affect youth novel, it does hold to that premise fairly firmly. There is your rebel group working to subvert the system that adults are perpetuating in the belief that it will save the kids, your teen heroine who is able to beat the Program even though it's never happened before. It's well written and sets up well for a sequel. A good one to recommend to those who like Dystopian or novels with a heroine who stands up to the system.
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Summary:
Teen suicide has become a national epidemic. There's been no way to stop it, until the Program started. It was a way to help teens forget why they wanted to commit suicide, to give them a clean slate to start from. But in reality it stripped them of everything that made them them. It took crucial memories and left holes in their lives. Sloane's brother committed suicide. She's lost friends. She's been pegged as at risk by the Program, and it's only a matter of time before they come.
Review:
While the book's premise is about teen suicide, the book doesn't really address it in any real way. Suicide is viewed as a disease (like the flu, etc), which makes the book slightly less dark than it might be otherwise, though it is by no means a light read. It is a bit of a departure from your typical adults making decisions that will negatively affect youth novel, it does hold to that premise fairly firmly. There is your rebel group working to subvert the system that adults are perpetuating in the belief that it will save the kids, your teen heroine who is able to beat the Program even though it's never happened before. It's well written and sets up well for a sequel. A good one to recommend to those who like Dystopian or novels with a heroine who stands up to the system.
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)