Sci-Fi Books We Love: Veronica Roth's Divergent

In my previous post I mentioned the growing trend of dystopian novels in Young Adult Fiction. However I failed to explain what dystopia is. Dystopia (according to Wikipedia) is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian. Essentially not really a perfect world but darn, if it doesn't try to be.

I think the trend is because we are coming upon a very weary generation. We have a group of kids who it seems have never seen their nation at its finest. Politics have been uniquely polarized in the last 10 years which leads to a more moderate counter-culture coming up. They are weary of siding with anyone because in their eyes both sides have done wrong. Statistically we have more students growing up in single parent house holds and the sense is that there is something wrong and broken in families. The economy has been a roller coaster the last ten years and I think our students are looking for answers.

Dystopian novels are author's answer or word of warning to these students. As the Hunger Games presents, don't give up your personal freedom for "bread and circuses" or as the Uglies that outward beauty is not a sign of achievement. I like that our students are getting a dose of something of substance. What is your answer to this broken world? I'd tell you mine, but you'd guess, its the only Answer.

Book I: Divergent

Set in Chicago many years from now Beatrice Prior's world is divided into five factions: Abnegation (selfless), Dauntless (brave), Candor (honest), Amity (Peaceful), and Erudite (intelligent). We meet Beatrice Prior as she enters the most important decision of her young life. She must choose which faction she will spend the rest of her life with. Her family is Abnegation, they are selfless, she envies her mothers natural selflessness and while it doesn't come naturally to her she is thankful for the harmony in which she lives. The day before the choosing ceremony she goes into a simulation which will tell her what faction she is most naturally akin to. For most people the simulation narrows there choice to one, but when Beatrice goes in for her simulation her world is changed. We follow Beatrice as she chooses her faction and learns just what it means to be Divergent. We also begin to see the fabric that binds these factions begin to fall apart. The factions were meant to rid the world of evil by focusing on virtues but it seems that corruption is hard to keep away in any world. You will love Beatrice and her kickin' attitude! You will be horrified at Eric, wish for friends like Christina and will and you will sa-woon for Four! ENJOY!

That's all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Sci-Fi Books We Love: Scott Westerfeld Uglies

About three years ago I was sitting in one of my education classes in college and talking about books with some of the people around me. It was a teaching Reading through Literature class and we had a habit of talking about the books we really liked. The girl behind me said she had just read this series that had blown her mind.

The series was called "Uglies". It's a series of four books its another book of what has come to be known in the YA World as Dystopic Fiction or Dystopian Fiction. The librarian at a local middle school and I noticed the overflowing bounty of books like this and we took a minute to think "why would these books be so popular now"?

Its a question I will answer in my next blog but for now.... The books!

Book I: Uglies

The book opens and we meet Tally, a young girl desperate to join her friend Peris in New Pretty Town. However Tally is only fifteen and thereby, an ugly. She will receive surgery to be turned pretty when she reaches sixteen. When you are sixteen you are given an operation in which doctors decide what your face will look like, they make you symmetrical, thin, and they give a show stopping beauty. She longs for that day and spends time making up what her new face would look like. Tally longs for the days when she and Peris would turn tricks together. Uglies have a habit of playing all sorts of pranks and tricks that are very "bubbly". However when she meets Shay, another Ugly with the same birthday as Tally, everything changes. Shay also like to play tricks that are very "bubbly" however hers consist of going to something called the "Rusty Ruins" and meeting a very mysterious boy named David. Shay has an entirely new adventure in store for Tally that she isn't exactly ready for because Shay wants something Tally has never even considered. Shay doesn't want to turn pretty. Shay thinks she is fine just the way she is... the question is, can she convince Tally that there is a choice? What in fact is the real cost of beauty?

Book II: Pretties

Again we find ourselves in the company of Tally, Shay, Peris and a few new friends including the strikingly handsome and unique looking Zane. Tally finds herself in New Pretty Town. She is happy all the time and loves going to the latest parties in the coolest outfits. However she also has a desperate desire to join Shay's Pretty Town clique, The Crims. Crim is short for criminal and they are of the few pretties who still play tricks and have adventures so that they can feel "Bubbly". She finds herself left with Zane a lot and comes to see him as an ally of sorts. He is the one person who understands her internal conflict sometimes. He understands that sometimes its like you think more clearly when you have a certain rush of adrenaline and he wonders what it would be like to feel that way all the time. He and Tally set out on a mission to find a way to feel the "clarity" that being bubbly brings them. It is then that they meet some old friends who can tell them all about the clarity they have been missing.

There are two more books in the series "Specials" and "Extras" neither of which I can really talk about without giving too much away about the first two!

They are exciting books that really take a look at the importance of finding beauty in what is real and natural.

Thats all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Sci-Fi Books We Love: Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games

Alas the blog I've been waiting for: The Hunger Games. If I have talked to you at all in the past year I'm sure I've mentioned this book series to you. Its like you can't quit "paying it forward" with this book. My sister recommended it to me and at first I refused thinking "oh no, it's not my kind of book". FALSE. It is the type of book for ANYONE who enjoys using their eyes!

Even if you think "I'm too smart", "too old", "too out of touch", or "too cool" for these books... YOU ARE WRONG. They are not for "Harry Potter" lovers or for "Twilight" lovers. In fact these books stand alone and create a VERY unique and exciting adventure!

Book I: The Hunger Games

Basically the United States no longer exists. What used to be known as North America has been separated into thirteen districts and "The Capital" also known as Panem. The Capital is located near California and the districts follow after that with District 12 being in Appalachia. Seventy-four year prior to the books beginnings District 13 led a rebellion with all the districts against The Capital. In response The Capital wipes District 13 off the map. "As a reminder to the rebels" of their previous disloyalty, each year The Capital takes two tributes from each district, one boy, one girl, ages twelve to eighteen, to compete in something known as "The Hunger Games". The Hunger Games are a fight to the death, but not in a gladitorial sense. It is a fight for survival. "The Games" take place in what is described as a vast arena, ANYTHING can be in the arena, it may be a jungle, a desert, a forest, or something entirely different. The last one alive, "wins". This seems like a simple enough plot, but there is SO much more to it! Before the games start the people of the Capital "get to know" their tributes through interviews and training scores. If the crowd likes you, you might be able to get help in the arena. For instance if you are injured and need medicine, "sponsors" can send in the appropriate medicine to try and ensure your survival. Secondly, for people to know what you need in the arena, they have to be watching you. Which leads to what I find to be almost the most horrifying of all. The Hunger Games are televised LIVE and all of Panem is REQUIRED to watch and to show The Capital's sick mind, the people of the Districts are likewise forced to celebrate the Hunger Games. This story follows Katniss Everdeen as she steps into the arena, leaves her lifelong friend Gale Hawthorne behind, and steps toward her District male equivalent, Peeta Mellark.

Book II: Catching Fire

I can't give too much about this book away in the summary so I will simply state a few words. This book follows what happens after the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games, in fact it is what they call the Quarter Quell as it is the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games. In the first Quell the Districts voted on which of the children of their district to send into the arena (i.e. almost certain death), in the second Quell four children were taken from each district instead of the usual two, and you will be amazed when you find out what The Capital has cooked up for this Quell.

This is my favorite book of the Hunger Games trilogy. I asked any of my friends who read it it to text me when they had an "OMG AAAAH" moment, I think I got at least 5 from each person.

Book III: Mockingjay

I literally don't think there is anything I can say about this book without giving the first two away. So all I will say is... this book will leave you feeling as one of my friends described "happy, sad, empty, mad, I don't know what I feel right now". Ally Carter (author of the Gallagher Girl books and Heist Society) described the sensation as #Mockingjaycoma which is ENTIRELY understandable. After reading this book you are emotionally drained. Some see this as a negative, I however STRONGLY believe it to be a good thing. I love that a book can make me FEEL as much as Mockingjay (and all the Hunger Games books) did.

Why I LOVE that kids are reading it:

This book takes a look at what happens when people look only for "Panem et Circenses" or "Bread and Circuses" in their lives. Its the idea that everything is a game if you want it to be or if it benefits you. It makes you take a good hard look at the value of a human life and what the price of freedom means. I love that kids as young as ten and eleven years old are falling in love with these books! I think it shows the desire of students to care for something real!

Thats all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Sci-Fi Books We Love: Gayle Forman If I Stay

So a few years ago I read "The Lovely Bones". It was one of those books that left me feeling "creeped out" and when I saw Gayle Forman's book "If I Stay" (which draws comparisons to The Lovely Bones) I thought, "Eeeeeh I'll stay away". Personally I never consider myself a Sci-Fi book person. However When I look in my room I notice a lot of Sci-Fi/Fantasy books and I guess I'll have to re-evaluate myself.

Therefore if you are someone who doesn't really consider themselves a lover of Science Fiction I'd like to invite you to read some of the books that will be in this series of blogs! They will all be books I couldn't tear my eyes away from.

If I Stay

Follows Mia both before and after her car accident. The book starts and she tells you about her family. Her parents were "rock and roll" musicians and her little brother can't wait to follow in their footsteps. Mia, as much as she loves her family always feels a little out of place because while she is a musician, she plays the cello and has an affinity toward classical music.

Affinity may be the wrong word. Mia loves classical music and is a very gifted musician who at the time of the accident is waiting to hear back from Julliard (after her audition she is very hopeful). While her family is hurting after the accident and Mia watches it all from above (she is in a coma-type state) there is one person she "needs" to see. Her boyfriend of a year and a half Adam Wilde. Adam was about to go on stage with his band "Shooting Star" when Mia's best friend brings him the news and drives him to the hospital. We see a series of memories of Mia and her best friend and Mia and Adam.

The book closes with a heart felt plea by Adam, "Stay" he goes on to say "If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be just too painful, maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay". I loved this book. Its characters were real and believable. You understand the weight of what her decision will be. It made me wonder what I would choose, which would be easier in this case? Life or Death?

Where She Went

Mia's decision has been made. She decided. Now we get to see the result of her decision on the people left. Or I guess more specifically the person left. This book follows Adam Wilde. His band has reached fame on an album written almost in its entirety by him. He has all the fame he has ever wanted and yet he feels hollow. Something is missing and he can't feel closure about his past. The band doesn't know him anymore, or understand him. You get the impression that even he doesn't exactly know what he is looking for. Adam is set up to have an interview with an internet magazine when he hears a name he hasn't heard in hears. A reporter digs up old pictures of them in school "Groovy and Geek", she finds newspaper clippings of the accident, and noticed their sequencing with the "black hole" that Shooting Star went through three years ago. He is forced to put Mia in the forefront of his mind (though she's been in the back of his mind for years) and you'll be surprised by how this story unfolds.

I loved this book and thought that Adam was written IMPECCABLY well. I highly recommend both books!

Thats all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Books of Summer: Jessi Kirby's Moonglass

So when it comes to reading new books I often feel a certain skepticism. "Is this book really worth the 12-15$ I'll spend on it? Do I really even trust the reviewers?" However nothing gets me to read a book like a recommendation from an author I love.

In this case, Sarah Dessen. Sarah Dessen is on the quoted as saying "I couldn't put this book down. Kirby's voice is fresh and wise, all at once. An incredible first novel." The last book I read she said she loved was The Summer I turned Pretty and after reading my previous blog you know how much I loved that book! So again upon Ms. Dessen's recommendation I read it and yet again I was NOT disappointed.

Moonglass

Moonglass follows Anna as she and her father relocate to the beach town where her mother and father met many years ago. Her father manages the lifeguard company on the beach and Anna is strictly warned to stay away from the "lifeguarding staff" and the lifeguards are likewise warned to stay away from her. She meets a lifeguard named Tyler and it seems that she won't be able to follow the guideline her father set before her.

More than the lifeguards there are many townies who have a lot to teach her about her mother and father and the times they spent living along this beach. Her mother's past is what interests and scares her most of all, and its the mystery she is most interested in solving.

As with most YA fiction I find myself always longing to understand the relationship between the boy and girl. In this book Anna and Tyler don't disappoint. Tyler is kind and witty. He and Anna have a banter that makes you find them even more endearing.

Great book that you don't want to put down.

You can't wait to find out about Anna's

past right along with her!

That's all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Books of Summer: Jenny Han

I've read a lot of books. Some books when I go to the store initially deter me. Mostly because I'm 23 years old and there are some books that when someone asks me "What are you reading?" I'm embarrassed to say the name.

"The Summer I Turned Pretty" started out as one of those. However very quickly my mind was changed and I couldn't put down this trilogy of summers. Moreover I had no problem recommending them to my friends!

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Welcome to Cousins beach and the beach house of Susannah Fisher and her two sons Conrad and Jeremiah. Every summer they invite down Susannah's best friend from childhood Laurel Conklin and her two kids, Stephen and Belly (Isabel). Belly has been in love with Conrad for as long as she or any one else can remember. Belly has spent her life as a fourth wheel to the boys fun and sometimes finds herself not included at all. She is the youngest of them all. Conrad is older than Belly by about 2 years. So until she comes to Cousins the summer she turns 16, she has just been little goofy Belly. However, the summer she turns pretty, the Fisher boys start to look at her a little differently in a way that confuses both of them. That coupled with a lot of secrets in the house causes a summer none of them would forget.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and was thrilled to find there was another on out! This book is the summer you always swore you'd have and lets face it probably never did. Jeremiah is cause for a lot of hilarity in this book and he will make you smile probably more than just about anyone. Once you get passed that Belly's name is in fact, Belly... the book charms you into its fictional world.

It's Not Summer Without You

Welcome back to Cousins for yet another unforgettable summer. This book takes place the following summer and a lot has changed. Without giving anything away I'll try and summarize this book for you. This book takes a look at what happens after Belly becomes seen as something more than just Laurel's little girl. What I loved about this book is that while most of the book is written from Belly's perspective there are chapters written from the perspective of the ever lovable Jeremiah. Jeremiah has a self deprecating humor that you can't help but find endearing. Jeremiah is getting ready for college, Conrad is finishing his first year, and Belly is entering her senior year certain that nothing will ever be the same again. Follow them on adventure to sort out exactly what has happened in the past year and what it means for their future.

We'll Always Have Summer

Oh this book... It was EVERYTHING I could have wished it would be. It takes place two years after "Its Not Summer Without You" and it seems as though EVERYTHING has changed. Because this book is the latest installment I refuse to be the one that tells you how it ends. BUT just so you know. Jeremiah finally gets his shot outside of Conrad's shadow. And Conrad has a moment... where he says EVERYTHING you've been waiting for him to say for the past two books. The ball is in Belly's court. Who will she pick? Will she pick either of them? How will it end? I can't tell you but I can say... You will NOT be disappointed.

I spend a lot of time with middle school aged kids and EVERY one of them who has read these books ADORED them. If you have a daughter/friend who enjoys reading... get them this book! I would say starting age is about 12.

Kudos to Jenny Han. You wrapped up this series wonderfully and I can't wait to see what you tackle next!

That's all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Books of Summer: Sarah Dessen Part II

So as I last posted I was going to tell you about another of my favorite Sarah Dessen books and tell you a little bit about her latest one. She has other books that have come out between Just Listen and What Happened to Goodbye, namely, Lock and Key and Along for the Ride.

Lock and Key has Ruby and Chris. They are cute and it a very different story than Sarah Dessen's usual stuff. However in that sense it is also pretty refreshing. I enjoyed it for sure and perhaps over time I'll learn to love it like I love her others.

Along for the Ride is actually surprisingly funny. Auden the protagonist has a feminist, scholarly mother, which leads to some HILARIOUSLY biting commentary. Auden and Eli have a funny chemistry. Some of my favorite one liners come from Along for the Ride. :-)

HOWEVER we aren't here to talk about Lock and Key or Along for the Ride.

Just Listen

"Annabel, Annabel, Annabel Green," (set to the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Alan Poe). Annabel Green has what everybody deems to be the perfect life. She is a model, her sisters are beautiful, and her family lives in a beautiful glass house in "The Arbors". However in one night at the end of school last year everything changed for Annabel. She now spends her school days sitting on a ledge at lunch about six feet away from Owen Armstrong. Owen is known as the angriest kid around. However Annabel finds out he is MUCH more than he appears. Annabel internal dialogues a lot but she has some very funny observations about her life both past and present. However my favorite character in the book is Owen's little sister... Mallory. Mallory enters the book in a "blur of pink" she is bubbly and hilarious. Her introduction is my favorite section of ANY Sarah Dessen book. I LOVE this book and it is pretty much wonderful!

What Happened to Goodbye?

Ah Sarah's latest venture. I look forward to summer knowing that Sarah Dessen may come out with a new book. In this book she didn't disappoint. Mclean (named for a Basketball Coaching Legend) goes through life putting on different masks. When she arrives in Lakeview all bets are off. She meets a neighbor Dave and he begins to actually create a lasting friendship, and he likewise begins to see through her mask and get to know her for who she is and the mystery of where she comes from. I loved this book because we got to see McLean really transform and it talks a lot about the pain of divorce and different ways of coping. Dave is a really sweet understated character and it brings about a very "boy next door charm". This works because he is in fact the boy next door. Wonderful book, endearing and charming. I plan on reading it again and again.

That's all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Books of Summer: Sarah Dessen

So as I shared before I love Sarah Dessen novels! I find they are like a good wine and get better with age. It seems the first ones I read by her are my favorites but I think its only because I have read them so many times. So here they are my top two! Tomorrow I will post my next to favorites by Sarah Dessen and then we'll change it up with another favorite YA author of mine.

This Lullaby

Basically about a girl who doesn't believe in love and has a bunch of rules as to how relationships work. Then this girl meets a guy who turns her world upside down. Now you might be thinking.... haven't I read this book? Haven't I seen this movie? Here is the thing... you may have heard the story but you've never seen anything like these CHARACTERS. Remi the main character is kick butt. She is gutsy and a little bit crazy but very sarcastic and witty. As a foil for her we have Dexter. Dexter is described as "all angles", he is charismatic, and has a way of getting under Remi's skin that just MAKES YOU LAUGH.

The Truth About Forever

For starters you should know this book will make you "Sa-Woon!". Macy is a girl who has spent the better part of the last couple years trying to be perfect. It should come as no surprise though that just when she thinks she has it all figured out, the ball drops, and she walks herself into a job catering at "Wish". While catering at Wish she forms a friendship with Kristy, Monique, Bert, and... pause for it.. Wes. **Sigh** Wes is essentially a dream. Macy describes him as "The boy all the girls want to rebel with, plus the whole tortured artist bit". Wes will woo you with his sweet humility and his irresistible charm. Wes is my favorite of all the Sarah Dessen leading men.

That is all for now!

Signing off,

Reader Girl

Starting at the Beginning.

I feel as though I should introduce myself to the blogosphere. You can call me Reader Girl. I read an an alarming rate of more than 100 pages an hour. I love to read and have loved reading YA fiction since I read Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby.

That was almost eight years ago and now I find myself still enthralled by the latest YA book.

I work as a teacher at the middle school level and one of my favorite pastimes is walking around the classroom and seeing what books my students are reading.

Therefore I decided it was about time I started blogging about the books I read and what I think of them as a whole. Its hard sometimes to pick through books and decide what you like but lets just say I can find a lot to say about any book, some good and some bad.

To answer the starter questions:

Yes, I love Harry Potter.

No, I do not like Twilight (interesting story idea, poorly

executed with weak female characters, and far too many

convenient plot points)

Yes, I have read and love the Hunger Games but more on

those books later.

And no, if you met me you probably wouldn't realize I'm

as nerdy as I actually am.

Signing off,

Reader Girl