by Mindy McGinnis
Summary:
Lynn knows she has to defend the pond at all costs. Water has become a scarce resource, and without it her mother and her will not survive. But what's the cost of that survival? Killing everyone who comes near? Never interacting with others? When tragedy strikes, events will force Lynn to reevaluate what she knows, and force her to adapt in order to survive.
Review:
While similar to many dystoptians, this story of survival does stand out. Lynn is a strong character who has to change her way of interacting with the world in order to survive. While she does this a little too easily, it still comes off as genuine. The idea of water becoming extremely limited is interesting because it's a resource that many take for granted, so if it was suddenly gone it would be absolutely devastating. It's a more rugged take on the dystopian, more focused on survival rather than taking down the society that remains. A good read for teens who like dystopians and end of the world survival stories.
Genre: Dystopian
Age Level: 8th Grade
Monday, October 28, 2013
Parallel
by Lauren Miller
Summary:
Have you ever wondered if one decision can change our entire lives. If one small change could send you on a completely different path? For Abby, it's one small earthquake that sets her on two courses. In one she becomes a movie star, in another she meets a boy who she falls in love with. In both lives every decision sets off a chain of events that changes everything, but which life is actually real?
Review:
I'm not a huge fan of parallel universes, typically I find books based around them to be fluffy and too silly. Parallel, however, was not. The book's characters were all very relate-able, and even the course of events that ends up with Abby becoming a movie star was believable. The books main premise was that one small event can change your course completely. It's ending demonstrating that if somethings meant to be it will happen regardless of what decisions you make was a nice touch. A great read for girls looking for a love story with something more substantial built in.
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade
Summary:
Have you ever wondered if one decision can change our entire lives. If one small change could send you on a completely different path? For Abby, it's one small earthquake that sets her on two courses. In one she becomes a movie star, in another she meets a boy who she falls in love with. In both lives every decision sets off a chain of events that changes everything, but which life is actually real?
Review:
I'm not a huge fan of parallel universes, typically I find books based around them to be fluffy and too silly. Parallel, however, was not. The book's characters were all very relate-able, and even the course of events that ends up with Abby becoming a movie star was believable. The books main premise was that one small event can change your course completely. It's ending demonstrating that if somethings meant to be it will happen regardless of what decisions you make was a nice touch. A great read for girls looking for a love story with something more substantial built in.
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die
by April Henry
Review:
As she comes to, she has no memory of who she is. Of how she came to be in this cabin with two men arguing about whether or not to kill her. All she knows is that one of them just left, and if she's going to survive, she's going to have to find a way to fight back and survive.
Summary:
"The girl who was supposed to die" is a quick paced thriller about a girl who must remember her past before it catches up with her and kills her. While for the most part the book is fairly unbelievable, the quick plot will keep readers attention as they try and figure out who she really is with her. A good quick read, good for teens who like thrillers where they don't have to think about.
Genre: Mystery
Age Level: 8th Grade
Review:
As she comes to, she has no memory of who she is. Of how she came to be in this cabin with two men arguing about whether or not to kill her. All she knows is that one of them just left, and if she's going to survive, she's going to have to find a way to fight back and survive.
Summary:
"The girl who was supposed to die" is a quick paced thriller about a girl who must remember her past before it catches up with her and kills her. While for the most part the book is fairly unbelievable, the quick plot will keep readers attention as they try and figure out who she really is with her. A good quick read, good for teens who like thrillers where they don't have to think about.
Genre: Mystery
Age Level: 8th Grade
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
by Matthew Quick
Summary:
Today, Leonard Peacock is going to kill himself and one of his classmates. He will first say goodbye to the only four people he cares about, but then he will do it. Leonard's last day is a cry for help, but no one pays enough attention or seems to care enough to follow through. As he says goodbye to his four, we learn the struggles that led him to the decision, and have to hope that someone will save him from himself. A haunting novel which portrays the struggle and many causes that lead someone to this decision, the book will keep you hoping that's it's protagonist finds something to live for.
Review:
While the premise itself is violent, the book is more about the myriad of factors that led Leonard to where he is now. We learn about the abuse he suffered in silence, about the constant bullying and his absent and clueless mother. The four people he says goodbye to are the only ones who appear to care, but even then are not aware of how desperately he struggles. It's a chilling reminder that you never know when how you treat someone will have the power to pull them from an abyss, or give them that last push to jump over. A great read for older teens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade
Summary:
Today, Leonard Peacock is going to kill himself and one of his classmates. He will first say goodbye to the only four people he cares about, but then he will do it. Leonard's last day is a cry for help, but no one pays enough attention or seems to care enough to follow through. As he says goodbye to his four, we learn the struggles that led him to the decision, and have to hope that someone will save him from himself. A haunting novel which portrays the struggle and many causes that lead someone to this decision, the book will keep you hoping that's it's protagonist finds something to live for.
Review:
While the premise itself is violent, the book is more about the myriad of factors that led Leonard to where he is now. We learn about the abuse he suffered in silence, about the constant bullying and his absent and clueless mother. The four people he says goodbye to are the only ones who appear to care, but even then are not aware of how desperately he struggles. It's a chilling reminder that you never know when how you treat someone will have the power to pull them from an abyss, or give them that last push to jump over. A great read for older teens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10th Grade
Saturday, September 21, 2013
The Loop
by Sandy Lawson
Summary:
Ben and Maggie are destined to meet, fall in love, and die together. There's no way of avoiding it, because they've tried to countless times. Stuck in a loop which ends in their deaths, they constantly relive their last days. But they've decided this is the last time, they will break the cycle. Even if it means they have to give each other up, they'll do it for their survival. But the loop is more powerful than they are, making it seem like the impossible.
Review:
A good quick read, In the Loop is a fast paced story about trying to outwit fate. The book doesn't dwell much on the intricacies of a time loop, making it easier to understand than going into any sort of depth about the concept. Maggie and Ben must use everything they have to break the loop, though the whole falling in love at first sight aspect is a little contrived. Overall a good read for anyone who likes a thriller, I'd peg it for a slightly older teen just because the repeated death scenes are a little much for a younger one.
Genre: Adventure
Age Level: 9th Grade
Summary:
Ben and Maggie are destined to meet, fall in love, and die together. There's no way of avoiding it, because they've tried to countless times. Stuck in a loop which ends in their deaths, they constantly relive their last days. But they've decided this is the last time, they will break the cycle. Even if it means they have to give each other up, they'll do it for their survival. But the loop is more powerful than they are, making it seem like the impossible.
Review:
A good quick read, In the Loop is a fast paced story about trying to outwit fate. The book doesn't dwell much on the intricacies of a time loop, making it easier to understand than going into any sort of depth about the concept. Maggie and Ben must use everything they have to break the loop, though the whole falling in love at first sight aspect is a little contrived. Overall a good read for anyone who likes a thriller, I'd peg it for a slightly older teen just because the repeated death scenes are a little much for a younger one.
Genre: Adventure
Age Level: 9th Grade
In the After
by Demitria Lunetta
Summary:
When the Florae invaded, no one was prepared. Most people were killed, and the few that survived did so in silence and alone. Amy and Baby communicate via sign language, surviving thanks to skills learned fast and a compound built by her parents to be self sufficient and protected. Until the day that they are rescued and find themselves in a protected fort with other survivors. Yet this rescue protects a bigger secret, one that will shatter the few things that Amy still believes in.
Review:
In the After is a well written dystopian. While inculcating typical elements (end of the world as we know it, strong female heroine who survives against all odds, rebellion against the establishment that prevailed), it brings in a slightly different aspect with the aliens. The twist at the end you kind of see coming but that doesn't detract from the books quality. A good read for fans of dystopian novels, not quite as good as Divergent and the like but with definite promise for the series. Good for those who liked the 5th Wave.
Genre: Dystopian
Age Level: 8th Grade
Summary:
When the Florae invaded, no one was prepared. Most people were killed, and the few that survived did so in silence and alone. Amy and Baby communicate via sign language, surviving thanks to skills learned fast and a compound built by her parents to be self sufficient and protected. Until the day that they are rescued and find themselves in a protected fort with other survivors. Yet this rescue protects a bigger secret, one that will shatter the few things that Amy still believes in.
Review:
In the After is a well written dystopian. While inculcating typical elements (end of the world as we know it, strong female heroine who survives against all odds, rebellion against the establishment that prevailed), it brings in a slightly different aspect with the aliens. The twist at the end you kind of see coming but that doesn't detract from the books quality. A good read for fans of dystopian novels, not quite as good as Divergent and the like but with definite promise for the series. Good for those who liked the 5th Wave.
Genre: Dystopian
Age Level: 8th Grade
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Rose Under Fire
by Elizabeth Wein
Summary:
The atrocities of World War II have been told and retold a countless number of times, yet Wein's new book brings a different perspective. Rose is an American pilot who joined the Air Transport Authority in England to help ferry planes to troops who needed them. As a woman she was never supposed to be in enemy airspace, yet when a series of incidents leads to her being intercepted by German planes over German airspace, she finds herself a prisoner of war. Sent to the women's concentration camp at Ravensbrook, Rose must now learn survival under the brutalist of terms. It's a story of survival, and ultimately of the power of resistance.
Review:
Just like Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire is an absolute triumph. Wein deftly weaves together a story of hope in the worst of circumstances, and crafts a strong voice in Rose. The book places a high priority on accuracy. One of the most interesting parts of the book were where Rose and the other ATA girls heard about the horrors of the Holocaust from escapees, but couldn't believe that the stories they were hearing were actually true. When Rose experiences it first hand she finds out that it is even worse than imagined, and then must make the decisions about whether or not to actually spread the word herself.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade
Summary:
The atrocities of World War II have been told and retold a countless number of times, yet Wein's new book brings a different perspective. Rose is an American pilot who joined the Air Transport Authority in England to help ferry planes to troops who needed them. As a woman she was never supposed to be in enemy airspace, yet when a series of incidents leads to her being intercepted by German planes over German airspace, she finds herself a prisoner of war. Sent to the women's concentration camp at Ravensbrook, Rose must now learn survival under the brutalist of terms. It's a story of survival, and ultimately of the power of resistance.
Review:
Just like Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire is an absolute triumph. Wein deftly weaves together a story of hope in the worst of circumstances, and crafts a strong voice in Rose. The book places a high priority on accuracy. One of the most interesting parts of the book were where Rose and the other ATA girls heard about the horrors of the Holocaust from escapees, but couldn't believe that the stories they were hearing were actually true. When Rose experiences it first hand she finds out that it is even worse than imagined, and then must make the decisions about whether or not to actually spread the word herself.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade
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