It's the End of the World As We Know It: Dystopian Fiction Book Discussion

Last Wednesday, 10 teens showed up for the dystopian book discussion.  I pulled our library's books in that genre from the teen section, and they covered almost the whole table.  Dystopia really is the hot genre right now.  (Good-bye supernatural romance!)  We talked about what defines a dystopia, how it fits in with other genres, and the different kinds of dytopian books.  People talked about their favorite dystopian novels, which included Uglies, The Hunger Games, Unwind, and Gone.  We also discussed the issue of how much romance is appropriate in a dystopian novel.  We read this recent New York Times article, which raises some interesting thoughts about new books like Matched and Delirium, where romance drives the dystopian plot.  It was a great discussion, and a lot of people checked out books at the end. 

You can continue the discussion on The New York Times' website.  In their Room for Debate category, there is a whole section about dystopian teen books called The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction.  It has short articles (including ones by Scott Westerfeld and Maggie Stiefvater) from different viewpoints, plus you can add your comments!

Here's a list I put together of books for fans of The Hunger Games, which is mostly dystopian teen novels.  Want to read more?  Check out these lists from Wikipedia:

• Dystopian literature
• Dystopian comics
• Dystopian films

Book Review: Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
(Click here to find a library copy.)

In the future United States, there is a cure for love.  Everyone is operated on around the age of 18, then they proceed into a trouble-free adulthood.  The problem?  Teenagers.  Some of them can't make it to 18 without being infected.  Lena is counting down the days until she is through the danger and can be given the cure.  However, when Lena's evaluation day is pranked with a herd of stampeding cows, it starts a chain of events that opens her mind to the implications of being denied the opportunity to love.  Delirium is part of a mini-trend in dystopian literature in which romance drives the story.  Lauren Oliver's writing is excellent, which I think makes up for some of the generic dystopian plot elements.  Our recent dystopian book discussion covered a lot of ground in the genre, and I would compare this book to Matched and the Uglies series.  Check this one out if you're looking for a quick, exciting read with a swoon-worthy love interest!  Visit Lauren's website to learn more about her and her books.  I really enjoyed her previous book, Before I Fall.

Book Review: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
(Click on the cover to see which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her younger sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before--and survival is second nature for her. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. (adapted from the inside flap)

OPINION: This dystopian novel is an incredible page-turner, with all kinds of mayhem and murder to keep you reading until the very end. And what a cliffhanger of an ending! Of course, this is a projected trilogy, but I don't think I can stand the wait!! The characters and events are very compelling, but I did find the dystopian aspects of the novel to be somewhat lacking. There is not much description of how the United States met its end, and very little discussion of issues beyond the brutality of the Capitol toward the districts. Typically, dystopian novels deal with social issues in a futuristic society, but this one was much more action-oriented. I hope that the series expands its scope and improves as it continues. However, I still recommend this book as "unputdownable"!!!

Read Beth's review of The Hunger Games from September.

Book Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
(Click on the cover to see which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she's still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen? Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. Along with the memories come questions--questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident? (from the inside flap)

OPINION: Most teen fiction takes place in a world where parents are uninvolved, unavailable, or maybe even dead. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is the exact opposite. Jenna was everything her parents hoped for, and their lives revolved around her. In America in the not-too-distant future, Jenna's family uses medical innovations to save their daughter's life. What starts like contemporary fiction quickly becomes dystopian as Jenna realizes that her parents may have gone too far to keep her alive. All good dystopian fiction has issues, and this book tackles tough questions of life and death, medical ethics, and parent-child relationships in ways that will keep you reading. I read this book in a day, and was only disappointed by the epilogue.

READ-ALIKE: If you liked this book, Eva by Peter Dickinson is a similar dystopian story that really impacted me when I read it.

Book Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

The last book I read before this was Beautiful Creatures. After the somewhat horrible ending to that, I was ready for something else. But when I read the back of Fallen, I thought I would be reading the same thing. I, as I often am, was wrong.
Fallen tells the dystopian (why is everything dystopian nowadays?) tale of Lucinda Price who has (possibly) been the reason for the death of her friend, Trevor. She has been sent to Sword & Cross, a reformatory school for teens. There, the live triangles (SHOCKER!) start. Luce must choose between cute, smooth Cam (who sounds like he's the beachy blonde type but he isn't) and Daniel (who sounds tall, dark and handsome but is only the former and the latter) who flips her off on their first encounter.
On top of her brewing love triangle, Luce must worry about the shadows that cause so much trouble in her life. When they take the life of the new kid Todd, things start to get crazy at Sword & Cross. Cam and Daniel get in fights (sound like Twilight much?) that are pretty violent and Luce decisions are much more difficult. She begins to sway toward Daniel though when she has dreams of him in an angelic state.
Can Luce discover things about the twisted and mysterious past of Daniel? Does it involve her? Will Cam turn out to be sweet like he came on or turn into something worse? Will Luce EVER get out of Sword & Cross? Don't expect me to tell you! Go get Fallen today!

Book Review: Little Brother

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
(click on the cover to see which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems. But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days. When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself. (adapted from the inside cover)

OPINION: This book is the most scarily possible dystopian fantasy that I have ever read, and yet it is also incredibly hopeful. Taking place in the not-too-distant future, Little Brother describes a great loss of freedom and privacy in the name of safety. Addressing questions important to Americans, particularly since September 11, this book takes reality one step further and shows how technology can be used to both dominate and liberate people. This book takes inspiration from Orwell's classic, 1984. Instead of allowing Big Brother to watch and control everyone, though, Marcus creates rebellion by inspiring thousands of Little Brothers to watch the watchers and outsmart them. As a long-time reader of this genre, I can say that this book is dystopian fiction at its best.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cory Doctorow is a famous techno-geek that you've probably never heard of. Find out more about him on his blogs, Craphound and Boing Boing, and read more of his books!

AMAZING FACT: Cory Doctorow invented the Paranoid Linux operating system for the purposes of this novel. Now some coders are actually writing it!

Three Fantasy Suggestions

Here are some fantasy suggestions for your reading enjoyment!  They are all very different, but will probably appeal more to female readers.  Already read these?  All of them have sequels available now or later this year.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
(Click here to find a library copy.)

This moving story takes place in the space of one day, as Mia is laying in a coma after a tragic accident.  What does Mia have to live for?  Is it worth the struggle of recovery?  It sounds like the set-up for a melodrama, but you'll be surprised at how realistically Forman portrays the situation.  Mia is a full-realized character, even though the reader is not experiencing her life directly, but rather through her memories.  One thing I enjoyed about this book was the centrality of very different kinds of music in the lives of Mia and her boyfriend.  And of course, this book made me cry.  A new sequel to this book, called Where She Went, was just released earlier this month.  Find out more at Gayle Forman's website.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
(Click here to find a library copy.)

If you are a fan of big, fat fantasy novels, this one's for you!  Beautiful Creatures takes its cue from the supernatural romance genre that has been popular recently, but definitely has its own personality.  There are no vampires, werewolves, or zombies here!  Instead, this gothic-inspired fantasy creates its own mythology, with some characters using Southern folk magic and other belonging to a whole new supernatural category, the Casters.  There is also some interesting integration of Southern Civil War history and events that sets Beautiful Creatures apart from the crowd.  This book already has one sequel, Beautiful Darkness.  There is also a third book, Beautiful Chaos, coming out in October, and a fourth scheduled for 2012.  Want to know more?  Check out the website for the Caster Chronicles series.

Matched by Ally Condie
(Click here to find a library copy.) 

Lots of dystopian teen novels have been cominng out recently, but this one has a romantic twist that makes it more of a fun read than some.  In a future society in which everything is managed by probability and statistics, older teens are matched for marriage because of their genes and compatibility.  Cassia is excited to find that she has been matched with someone from her own town, until she finds out that there has been an unusual mistake.  Cassia's carefully-controlled life seems to be unravelling in many places, even as the government is interfering more than usual in her family and community.  It is not the most original dystopian novel I have ever read, but I found it convincing enough that I cared about the characters.  I read it in one sitting, and definitely plan to read the sequel.  The next book in the trilogy, Crossed, will be released November 1, 2011.  Take a look at Ally Condie's website for details.

Look for the New Award Winners

The American Library Association announced their award winners on January 10, but it has taken me a while to compile a list for you.  So, it's a few weeks late, but well worth the reading!  I put a star by all the books Sellers owns, but remember that you can request any book from any library.

The main award for teen fiction is called the Printz Award.  It's like the Caldecott or the Newbery, but for teens rather than children.  I'm really excited about the winner, Ship Breaker, because it's a dystopian fantasy!  Here's the 2011 Printz lineup:

• *Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Printz Award; dystopian fantasy; summary)
• Stolen by Lucy Christopher (Printz Honor; realistic fiction; summary)
• Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King (Printz Honor; magical realism; summary)
• *Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick (Printz Honor; historical mystery; summary)
• *Nothing by Janne Teller (Printz Honor; realistic fiction; summary)

Here is some other award-winning fiction that you might want to look for:

• *Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (Newbery Medal; historical fiction; summary)
• Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus (Newbery Honor; historical fiction; summary)
• *Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers (Coretta Scott King Honor; realistic fiction; summary)
• Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Coretta Scott King Honor; magical realism; summary)
• Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri (Coretta Scott King Honor; realistic fiction; summary)

Book Review: Unwind

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

SUMMARY: In this terrifying vision of the future, the pro-life and pro-choice armies have come to a truce. Abortion is illegal, but teens between the ages of 13 and 18 can be "unwound." This is technically not killing because every part of their bodies can be reused to heal other people's wounds. In this world, Connor, Risa, and Lev are expendible teens. Their lives intersect in a highway accident, and they find themselves fighting for survival outside the system that has destined them for unwinding. As they enter an underground rescue network, they have no idea whether they will end up whole or as parts. And they don't know who they can trust.

OPINION: This is one of the greatest dystopian fantasies that I have read in a long time. It is full of action and adventure, but also makes you consider ideas of life and what it means to be alive. This book does not take sides in the current abortion debate, but rather envisions a future in which it has had a profound effect. The most frightening part of this book is when the author actually describes what unwinding is like. You can almost see how it would be possible, and yet it is incredibly horrifying and dehumanizing. I have been a fan of Neal Shusterman for a long time, and this is definitely his best book yet. I read this around the same time as William Sleator's Test (reviewed below) and there's no comparison. Books like Unwind are why I love dystopian fantasy.

Book Grub Strikes Again

On Friday, 15 members of the high school book group gathered to discuss Rash by Pete Hautman. We talked a lot about issues of freedom versus safety and why things are legal or illegal, as well as the relationship between mental illness and art. We also expressed our love for Bork! Bork's idea about why humans continue to make the same mistakes sparked a really interesting discussion of world history. It was an altogether great discussion, as we usually have with dystopian novels.

Next month, we are discussing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald for the We the People Bookshelf project. I have never read this book (gasp!), so it should be interesting!! And it will help us get ready for 20s Night this spring!

Book Roundup

I have not had time for much book blogging recently, so I am going to give a roundup of several titles in one post. These are all books recently read by our three teen discussion groups. (Click on the book covers to see which libraries have them.)

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Read by Primos Young Adult Book Group and Sellers Read & Rant Book Group

In a future society based on appearance, everyone undergoes massive plastic surgery when they turn 16 to become a "pretty." Tally has been eagerly looking forward to her 16th birthday, but a budding friendship with Shay has introduced her to a whole new idea: staying ugly and joining an outpost of others who have refused the surgery. In this dystopian novel of escapades and escapes, friendship and betrayal, it becomes increasingly clear that looks aren't everything. And once you've read this one, you'll want to find out what happens to Tally and Shay in Pretties, Specials, and Extras. This is a series that I have read, enjoyed, and recommended to a lot of people over the years. Also, take time to visit Scott Westerfeld's blog...he always has interesting things to say, plus he has a new book coming out!!

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Read by Sellers Book Grub Book Group

Josephine has always been surrounded by strong women and has grown into her own feisty personality. Now in her senior year of high school, Josephine's worldview is severely challenged when her biological father returns to town. Throw in two very different guys vying for her attention, long-held family secrets, and a dash of racism and politics, and it's obvious why Josephine is determined to express her indepence. Some of the cultural references in this book are funny since it was orginially published in the early 1990s in Australia, but the characters and their complicated relationships are more than enough to keep you interested in the story. You could also track down the movie, released in 2000. Melina Marchetta also wrote Saving Francesca, a previous Book Grub favorite, and Jellicoe Road, which won the 2009 Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

Leepike Ridge by N. D. Wilson
Read by Primos Young Adult Book Group

Eleven-year-old Tom has explored all around the mountain where he lives in a strange house chained to the top of a rock. But, riding a piece of styrofoam down the river, he is sucked down an underground waterfall deep into the heart of the mountain. Injured and fighting for his very survival, Tom grows less and less hopeful of finding a way out. A dead body, a dog, some crawfish, and mysterious stranger prove key in keeping him alive, and
what they discover in the mountain could change American history forever. In the tradition of many other survival adventure stories from the classic Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe to the more recent Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, this book is full of edge-of-your-seat moments as you root for Tom to make it out alive.

Alice, I Think by Susan Juby
Read by Sellers Read & Rant Book Group

Homeschooled by her hippie mother and preoccupied father, 15-year-old Alice realizes that her family has in no way prepared her for real life. She has no friends, no boyfriend, no job, and no social skills. Alice doesn't even know how to use the internet! What's a girl to do? Create a list of life goals and try to accomplish them, of course. Told from Alice's point of view, this book hilariously chronicles her attempts to overcome 15 years of social poverty and take the world by storm with her sense of fashion and ironic cultural criticism. If you liked this book, look for the sequels: Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last and Miss Smithers. And, look for the TV series based on the books, which aired in Canada for one seasion of 13 shows in 2006.

Incarceron

The dystopian world of Incarceron is vast, frightening, and amazing. I came to this book first at my Scholastic(TM) book fair and then again in a reading group. It both intrigued and mystified me. There were so many question, so many ideas that actually made me think. Although the main plot was highly predictable, it was still an entertaining read. There were many mishaps the characters had to face, and they did with discretion. I would recommend anyone who is a fan of Twilight or Harry Potter to read this. This recommendation actually works because Incarceron is one of the many books that are being turned into movies to replace Twilight and Harry Potter. If you love a good romance that isn't mushy or girly, both a hero and an equally amazing heroine, read Incarceron, the only thing you'll possibly lose is your mind because so many questions will fill it!

Three Reviews

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
In The Red Pyramid, Riordan faces the challenge of introducing us to new characters and a whole new mythology!  He is famous for writing the Percy Jackson series, which is based on Greek mythology.  The Kane Chronicles series focuses on a brother and sister, whose Egyptologist father endangers all of their lives during a research experiment gone wrong.  Soon, Carter and Sadie realize that the gods of Egypt are real, and that saving their father means trying to stop the most evil among them.  I had to read this for middle school book group, and I was actually surprised to find myself liking it.  Of course, there was a lot of action and some great battle scenes, but my favorite part of the book was actually learning about Egyptian mythology.  The second book in this series, The Throne of Fire, is already available, and the third (unnamed) book will be out on May 1, 2012.

Heist Society by Ally Carter
Ally Carter is known as the author of the Gallagher Girls spy series, starting with I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.  But, in this book, she goes in a different direction, featuring Kat Bishop, who has been raised as a thief since birth.  Kat attempts to escape into a "normal" life, but is sucked back into the family business when her dad is implicated in a major heist that she knows he didn't commit.  This book reminded me of a cross between Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman and a heist movie (like Ocean's Eleven or Tower Heist).  It was an easy and fun read, with plenty of action, cliffhangers, and plot twists to make it interesting.  There's also a sequel, Uncommon Criminals, so look for that as well!

Birth Marked by Caragh M. O'Brien
16-year-old Gaia is a midwife-in-training who hands over a quota of babies to the Enclave every month, even though she's never been allowed inside. But when Gaia returns home and finds her parents have been arrested by the very people they serve, she starts a dangerous journey into the city to find them.  This dystopian fantasy's strengths are the character of Gaia and the medical problems caused by the small gene pool in the Enclave.  Several of the plot elements are a bit too convenient, but a disturbing twist at the end made the reading worthwhile.  This book is a good choice if you are a fan of the genre, or particularly interested in science or in childbirth.  And, if you like this book, the second book in the trilogy, called Prized, was released last month.

Recent Reads

I haven't had much time for book blogging recently, so here are several fantasy reviews in one post! All of these were read recently by our Read and Rant Book Discussion Group, which is for grades 7 to 9. If you want to read them, click on the covers to find library copies.

Downsiders by Neal Shusterman
This is one of Shusterman's older books that has recently been republished. I am a fan of his books, especially Unwind, so it's great to be able to read more of his writing. Downsiders envisions a secret society living in the tunnels under New York City, which is just possible enough to be creepy. Talon, a Downsider, knows there are strict rules about contact with Topsiders, but his curiosity gets him in trouble. After being discovered in our world by 14-year-old Lindsay, he dares to take her on a forbidden visit to the Downside. The story follows a fairly typical fantasy arc, but the world created by Shusterman is rich with images even though it is dimly lit. The Downside really captured my attention with forgotten subway stations as meeting places, dropped subway tokens and lost earrings finding new life as art, and herds of cattle (not alligators) terrorizing the tunnels. It's great for the imagination...think of what might be under Philadelphia!

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Matt Cruise is a knowledgeable cabin boy aboard the airship Aurora in a historical fantasy setting where airplanes never replaced dirigibles in the skies. One night, he helps rescuse a dying balloonist whose last words are of mysterious winged creatures. Matt thinks his talk was just a hallucination, but that man's wealthy granddaughter, Kate, shows up as a passenger a year later and is seriously searching for information about the creatures. When their flight is overtaken by pirates and crashes on an uncharted island, Matt and Kate are propelled into action to save themselves, rescue their shipmates, and possibly revolutionize science. This book starts out slowly, as the author works to build the reader's understanding of his world. But the action really starts to take off when the pirates attack, and it does not slow down until the end! This is a good old-fashioned adventure story with a fantasy twist. It is first in a trilogy, so be sure to look for Skybreaker and Starclimber if you like it.

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
With the Earth's enviornment in ruins from freak weather events, Earth Mother is gathering the remaining people into the safety of the Enclosure.  When Honor and her parents are brought in from a remote island, Honor is happy to accept everything as it is presented to her.  However, her parents are much more suspicious.  They refuse to worship Earth Mother and decide to have a "selfish" second child.  It seems that the harder Honor tries to fit in, the more her parents to do stand out.  And people who stand out have a habit of disappearing.  Allegra Goodman does an excellent job of creating a dytopian world build on radical environmentalism rather than the intellectual freedom issues featured in many other books of this genre.  The story really picks up pace in the second half of the book and becomes a page-turning race against time to save those who have had their minds altered in the name of peace and safety.  Some of the plot elements seemed a bit unlikely to me, but I think that the writing style and compelling action more than compensate for them.  This is a good choice for fans of The Hunger Games and other dystopian novels.

Book Review: The Dead and the Gone

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Reviews by Gretchen, Meg, and Debbie (Meg's mom!)

Click on the book cover to see which libraries own it.

GRETCHEN SAYS: The Dead and the Gone is a companion to Life As We Knew It, and it is even more chilling. It made me change my Facebook status to "Gretchen just finished The Dead and the Gone and feels the urge to stock up on canned goods." In this book, the disaster and survival scenario is replayed in New York City rather than rural Pennsylvania. On the day of the disaster, siblings Alex, Brianna, and Julie find out their parents are among the gone. As they try to survive on their own, they face all kinds of struggles in their once-familiar neighborhood. Although the references to their Puerto Rican heritage sometimes feel like a plot device, the reactions and interactions among the three siblings are totally believable. Despite echoes of 9-11, the author thoroughly portrays the new horrors that tidal waves and tsunamis bring to this city of islands. The urban enviornment also adds new levels of chaos with food shortages, death in the streets, an active black market for all kinds of goods, and major illness epidemics. If you have not read these books before, start with Life As We Knew It. Even though The Dead and the Gone an incredible page-turner, I still want to know what happens next! There is a sequel in the works, known as P3B (for Possible Third Book), which you can read about on Susan Beth Pfeffer's blog.

MEG SAYS: What would happen to the world if an asteroid pushed the moon closer in orbit to the earth? Like Susan Beth Pfeffer's earlier novel Life as We Knew It, this is the question that is explored in The Dead and the Gone. Rather than continuing the story of a rural Pennsylvania family from Life, the author instead focuses on the same events from a different perspective. This book is about 17-year-old Luis, who lives with his sisters in New York City. The book follows his struggles to survive after his parents die in the initial distruction the asteroid causes, and later as the city descends further and further into chaos. I loved Life as We Knew It, and this companion piece lived up to my expectations. I enjoy fairly realistic sci-fi novels, and this was no exception. The book remains realistic in its portrayals of a world gone crazy, from stampedes in food lines to Luis' increasingly desperate search for a way to get his sisters out of the city. I also liked that, while Luis and his family were devoutly religious, the various priests and nuns were characters rather than stereotypes, and the book rarely got preachy. I would highly recommend both his book and the original to anyone looking for a fast-paced, realistic dystopian novel.

DEBBIE SAYS: The Dead and the Gone retells the story of Life as We Knew It, detailing the impact to life on Earth when an asteroid hits the moon, knocking it closer to Earth. The perspective of this version is of a teenage boy whose parents die in the initial impact, and who now must care for his two younger sisters. This family lives in an apartment building in NYC. The original version is about a teenage girl living with her mother and brother in rural Pennsylvania. The author paints a vivid, realistic picture of life in the post-impact world with none of the utilities and resouces that we take for granted today. My only disappointment was with the depth of the character description. I felt I knew and understood the characters in the original version much more and found them to be more believable.

Book Review: Incarceron

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
(Click on the cover to find a library copy.)

SUMMARY: Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible. And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know. (from the Amazon.com descripton)

OPINION: This was one of the most original fantasies that I have read recently! Even though one of the major plot points was fairly obvious to me, the level of creativity and invention in this story more than made up for that. This book is an excellent choice for readers of a variety of genres, including fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, or dystopian fiction. The world Fisher dreams up is a futuristic throwback; the government forces all of its citizens to live in a medieval setting, but uses technology to make it possible. The living prison Incarceron is a place unto itself, and the twists and turns within its confines are only surpassed by the startling revelation about its very existance at the end. This book is a page-turner, so don't start it at night or you will be up very late trying to finish it!!

SEQUEL: The next book is called Sapphique, and will be published on December 28. I can't wait! Visit Catherine Fisher's website for a synopsis.

Book Review: The Declaration

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

Reviews by Marissa, Arwa, and Gretchen

SUMMARY: It's the year 2140 and Longevity drugs have all but eradicated old age. A never-aging society can't sustain population growth, which means Anna should never have been born. Nor should any of the children she lives with at Grange Hall. Children like Anna--Surpluses--are brought up to believe they must atone for their very existence. Then one day a boy named Peter appears, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna's not sure whom to trust: the strange new boy whose version of life sounds like a dangerous fairy tale, or the familiar walls of Grange Hall and the head mistress who has controlled her every waking thought? (from the back of the book)

MARISSA SAYS: This book was very exciting and hard to put down. When I first started reading it, I thought living forever wouldn’t be that bad, but by the end I was fully convinced that I would join the rebellion. I could not live in a world without kids and I would most likely run out of things to enjoy after living over 100. This book would make a great book discussion book due to the conflict and excitement it contains.

ARWA SAYS: This work reminded me a lot about Shakespeare and his work with man's fickleness--how changable humans. It also reminded me of how only a few select people can be leaders while the read of mankind is in the "followers" column. I thought parts of the story went too fast, while others were too slow. Yet, it still had a good, juicy plot. All in all, it was a very original piece of work that I hope does not happen in the near future.

GRETCHEN SAYS: I am an avid reader of dystopian future fantasy, so I was excited to read this book by a new British author. The concept is really interesting: in the future, stem-cell research has leads to Longevity drugs that keep people from aging. Because of this, there is a population problem and illegal children, called Surpluses, are rounded up and raised to be servants and workers for the Legals. As a reader, I cheered for Surplus Anna as she awakened to the reality and complexity of life and began to think for herself. However, I was disappointed with the writing style. The story is told from a third person omnipotent point of view, and the switches among characters are sometimes jarring. Many aspects of this future society were alluded to, but not fully fleshed out, and the ending seemed rushed. Nonetheless, the novel is a thought-provoking and frightening vision of the future. A sequel addressing the Underground Movement to get rid of Longevity and free the Surpluses from Grange Hall would be an excellent follow-up. I can forgive what is lacking in this book if there are others to follow!

Book Review: The Resistance

The Resistance by Gemma Malley

This book will be released on September 2, 2008.

When I read The Declaration last year, I said that I could forgive some of its shortcomings if they were addressed in a sequel. And so it has arrived. The Resistance follows Peter and Anna as they start their lives together. Even though they are Legal, they have to navigate a very tricky path because they are teens in a world of old people. They have not signed the Declaration or started taking Longevity drugs, and this makes them suspect. Not to mention that they are members of the Underground movement to get rid of Longevity! Even as Peter infiltrates his grandfather's pharmaceutical company, his grandfather is manipulating both Peter and Anna to his own ends. To understand this book, it is necessary to have read the first one. Additionally, I am hoping for a third one that will wrap up some of the loose ends. That said, this book has an exciting and fast-paced plot that picks up soon after the end of The Declaration. The more Peter finds out about the new Longevity+, the more frightening this story becomes. It raises a lot of questions about scientific ethics in areas like pharmaceuticals, stem-cell research, and reproductive rights. Nonetheless, sometimes the discussion of ethics takes over the narrative, which makes the book lack the subtlety of the best dystopian novels. For better treatment of similar subjects, I would recommend Double Helix by Nancy Werlin and Unwind by Neal Schusterman.

Book Review: Exodus

Exodus by Julie Bertagna

Click on the cover to see which libraries own it.

SUMMARY: By 2099, global warming has taken its toll on the earth. Most of the world is underwater--mountaintops are now islands, and people are struggling to survive as the water rises. There is no mass communication, and no map of the known world. Fifteen-year-old Mara, using old technology to surf the remains of the Weave, finds out about sky cities that were built to rise above the water. She convinces the remaining population of her island, Wing, to venture into the unknown. But when the boats from her village arrive, they are kept out by a giant wall and gun-happy police. With nowhere else to go and nothing to lose, Mara sneaks inside the wall, and later the city, in a desperate attempt to save her friends.

OPINION: I started this book in the morning and finished it by lunchtime. The premise is completely plausible, the characters are excellently imagined, and their desperation is palpable. The story is told in the third-person present tense, which is an unusual style that adds to the sense of urgency. I haven't felt so compelled to finish a book in a while! The author created a believable future world in which environmental destruction is an issue, rather than an issue book about the environment that just happens to take place in the future. The message is subtle, but the story makes it clear. This is a great choice for fans of dystopian future survival fantasy such as The Hungry City Chronicles by Philip Reeve or Life As We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I loved it so much that I ordered the sequel, Zenith, which is already available in England!

Book Review: After

After by Francine Prose

SUMMARY: A school-shooting incident in nearby Pleasant Valley causes Tom's high school administrators to be worried about a ripple effect. A crisis counselor is hired and a watchdog atmosphere grows as the teens' privileges rapidly disappear. Tom and his sophomore classmates are annoyed but not overly concerned about the new security restrictions until they notice eerie disappearances of friends who fail to conform, including Tom's two best friends. The random drug tests, backpack searches, parental e-mail, and dress codes soon expand into mind-controlling daily assemblies, book censorship, and camps for "behavior" problems. After a tip from a Pleasant Valley basketball player, Tom is convinced that students everywhere are being sent away and hopes his father hasn't also been brainwashed via the e-mails from the school authorities. The pace picks up as Tom and friend Becca are caught trying to alert their fellow students to the menacing counselor and know that their lives are at risk. (from the School Library Journal review)

OPINION: How much freedom are you willing to give up for the greater good? Should schools implement dress codes? Is it OK for police dogs to sniff students' lockers for drugs? Should schools restrict your reading material? What starts as a contemporary story about school violence quickly turns into a dystopian fantasy as students gradually lose freedoms in the name of safety. Many issues of student rights are explored, but the author incorporates them in such a gradual way that it blurrs the line between right and wrong. How much is too much?