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Wither: The Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren DeStefano This is a novel I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. I could hardly put it down!
Wither is a dystopian story about a time in the future when the only remaining continent on earth is North America (somehow all the others have been destroyed by war and sunk into the sea - don't over think it), and all people are infected with a man-made virus that causes guys to die at age 25 and girls to die at age 20. Completely unrealistic and unsupported by the world-building of the story. So it should be a lousy book, right? Wrong. Once you get past the premise, the actual writing and characters make this a really good read. Rhine is a 16-year-old orphan who has been kidnapped by a wealthy man to be one of three brides to his son. In a world dominated by poverty and crime, Rhine can almost be convinced to succumb to the luxury she is married into, and she can't bring herself to hate the kind man who is her husband. She even comes to love her sister wives. But, she can't lose sight of the fact her life is nearing its end and she is not free. In this new world of grandeur, things are rarely what they appear to be. Rhine must not be fooled and she must escape the clutches of her vile father-in-law. Wither is definitely a flawed novel. You may be shaking your head over my description of the plot because the premise is, frankly, ridiculous. But the main character, Rhine, is an incredible and complex heroin whose kindness touches all those around her. At the same time, she is enduring her own suffering and trying to escape her new life. Rhine is at once a child, an orphan, a sister, a wife, a friend and a prisoner. Her experiences and plight make for an entertaining read.
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A book review by guest reviewer Brianna H. The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingleman-Sundberg
I would be worried if my parents or grandparents wanted to go to prison instead of stay in their retirement home. The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules is about Martha and her friends wanting to escape their retirement home to get into prison. It feels you are committing all the crimes with the four characters, and experiencing all the trouble and hardships they experience. I think you would like to read this book if you like comedy, mystery and adventure books. This is a comedy because what this old lady says is not what normal people say and mystery because it is a mystery of why they do some of their crimes. In the book, these old folks break into a museum and ask for some ransom money, and they break into lockers at their hotel. So will these old folks go to jail? Run on over to the library or bookstore to pick up a copy of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules! A Monster Calls by Peter Ness A Monster Calls is going to be a classic read for generations to come. I'm certain of it. This book is everything story telling should be - powerful, moving, full of incredible emotion and imagery.
Conor is a 13 year old boy who is battling nightmares while his mother is battling cancer. His parents are divorced (dad lives in America) and his grandmother is doing her best to help the small family. School brings days full of bullies, a best friend who betrayed him, and teachers who treat him with nothing but pity. The recurring nightmare has only made things worse. And then... "The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do." Every night, Conor O'Malley wakes up from a terrible nightmare, one which leaves him screaming, crying, and gasping for breath. One night, at exactly 12:07, there is a monster at his bedroom window, calling his name. But it's not the monster he's been expecting, the one from his nightmares. This is a different type of monster, one from the elements around him rather than from the horrors he sees while he sleeps. And so begins the stories within the story, making this novel a modern fairy tale not to be overlooked. Make no mistake, A Monster Calls is a crying book. A heart-wrenching, emotional journey for all ages. And everyone should read it. Now I need to bring some tissues and go see the movie. www.goodreads.com/videos/111957-a-monster-calls---official-trailer-in-select-theaters-dec-23e The Loners by Lex Thomas Suspend your disbelief. Do you know what this phrase means? It means you need to allow yourself to believe things that cannot possibly be true or real. Honestly, the only way you will enjoy this novel is if you can suspend your disbelief. There is nothing here that can be even remotely real.
But if it's action and violence you are looking for, The Loners is really good!! As soon as you let yourself believe in the premise of this novel, you will be able to get into the action, cheer for the good guys, applaud when the bad guys get what they deserve, and enjoy the experience of Quarantine. McKinley High School students are infected with a virus that is deadly (almost immediately) to adults. Before you can say Suspend Your Disbelief, the army bombs the east wing of the school, drops a grey impenetrable dome over the building and installs steel walls to block all exits. One thousand teens are now trapped and left to form their own version of society together. All heck breaks loose. That's the bad news. The good news is, the army manages to open a seam in the ceiling every two weeks so a helicopter can drop food and other supplies into the atrium, so all is not lost. The teens spend over a year and a half in quarantine, where their lives are ruled by violence and desperation. They form gangs - the jocks become Varsity, the cheerleaders are The Pretty Ones, the artsies are Geeks, etc - and loyalty only extends to those in your gang. Get ready for some tense moments. This is a good book for those who are not offended by the mature content - there are some sexual references and lots of violence. Don't expect any of the Loners to be realistic, just be prepared for lots of blood and death. Shooter by Caroline Pignat Shooter is a powerful, character-driven novel about a school in lock-down mode when a shooter is spotted in their midst. The story is told through the voices of five teens who are stuck in a boy's bathroom together - introverted rule-follower Alice, her autistic brother Noah, popular Student Council President Isabelle, troubled bully Hogan and the socially awkward Xander. Each of these voices is unique and has it's own life story to tell, and one of these characters knows more about the shooter than they are letting on.
Shooter is a really good book, but may not be what you you expect it to be. This novel is not really a book about being in peril, nor is filled with action (although these themes are present more as the novel progresses). Caroline Pignat has written a modern day Breakfast Club * in which we learn that everyone has a story and this forms who we are and the choices we make. Through the voices of the main characters, we are given themes of parental pressure, self-identity, guilt, responsibility, depression and mental helath issues. That's a lot of deep stuff! And yet, somehow, the author has crafted a fast, enjoyable read. The only complaint I have is the "perfect timing" behind bringing these particular characters all into the boy's bathroom for the lockdown. Of course, if these high school stereotypes weren't together for the story, it wouldn't really be a story (plot manipulation to the point of not quite being believable). On the whole, though, I highly recommend you check this book out. The characters are well developed and sympathetic. The subject matter - a school shooting - is contemporary and thought provoking. The writing style is simple and flows well. Enjoy! *http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/ Every You, Every Me by David Levithan This is a postmodern novel. Experimental. A little bit cool and also a little bit pretentious.
Evan is a troubled high school student who doesn't fit in . He is grieving for his friend/love (Ariel) who is no longer with him, and he's feeling responsible for whatever it is that happened to her. Evan has a guilty conscience, no friends and a broken heart. Then photographs start to show up. Some of the photos are places he went with Ariel, some are photos of him, of her, and eventually a photo of the place he last saw her. Evan's not sure what to think. Are these photographs Ariel's way of reminding him what he did to her? Or has someone found out what he did and is now wanting to punish him? Either way, he can't rest until he finds out who is stalking him. There is lots going on in this book. Much of the text has stikethrough font (things Evan thinks but doesn't say out loud). There are blurry black and white photos, strange chapter headings (chapter 11-A through 11-O, for example) and a mystery waiting to be solved. Very intriguing... Unfortunately, the mystery is not really difficult to solve and Evan spends far too much time wallowing in his sadness - it gets to be a little bit too much angst. Every You, Every Me is not a difficult read. It's quick and dark and intriguing. It tries a little too hard to manipulate the reader and to be different than other YA novels. It is a good book to fill an afternoon or two, but it's not the great book I hoped it would be. Wow! If you are a fan of the Selection series of books, this might be for you! Just thought I'd share... Found this on Amazon.ca.
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry WOW!
I thought I should read and review something something different this time 'round. I'm SO GLAD I did! This is an excellent post-apocalyptic zombie novel and I highly recommend it if you don't have a weak stomach when it comes to zombies and blood and guts. Benny Imura is 15 years old and lives with his older half-brother Tom. His parents died during First Night (the beginning fo the zombie apocalypse) when he was a toddler. During the chaos and confusion that night, Tom ran away with Benny in his arms as their folks were attacked by zombies. Now, as childhood comes to an end, all citizens of Mountainside must get a job or lose half their food rations when they turn 15. Benny is hesitant to join his brother in the family business of Zombie Killing/Bounty Hunting, but it turns out nothing else holds interest for him. He has always thought of Tom as a coward for not helping their parents, but soon discovers otherwise. When Tom takes Benny into the wasteland beyond the town fence (known as the Rot and Ruin), Benny sees there are enemies to society far worse than any zombie. His life will never be the same. So, confession time. I find that zombies are a very entertaining genre. My favorite tv show is The Walking Dead and I've seen the original Dawn of the Dead 53 times. It's kind of my thing. But I've never read a YA zombie novel and I guess when I picked this book up, my expectations were fairly low. I was so wrong! There is a lot going on in Rot & Ruin - this book really has it all. Heroes, villains, love, grief, blood and guts, action, friendship, birth, death... It's very entertaining and filled with well developed characters and their stories. Take a chance. Give it a try. After all, life's too short to spend it reading something you don't like. And maybe this novel will help you know what to do when the zombie apocalypse comes to town. |
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