Article 5

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Throughout middle school and high school students learn about various forms and styles of governments, for those of us living in a democracy we can hardly imagine a life without a Bill of Rights that ensures all kinds of basic rights and freedoms. So to imagine a country that has gone from a democracy to dictatorship / tyranny, that should scare the pants off of you. Imagine the Bill of Rights being replaced by Moral Statutes, or that the police have been replaced by soldiers and these soldiers have absolute power to make decisions about your future on the spot. Imagine a set of rules that demand complete compliance - there will be no argument, no debate, no trial for disobeying. This is the world that Ember finds herself in, and when her mother is arrested for violating Article 5 (Children are considered valid citizens only when conceived by a married man and wife ). Ember's life changes abruptly as she is taken away to a rehabilitation centre. Ember's focus becomes one of escape and survival in order to rescue her mother, but that can't be done from within the prison she beening held at. Can she rely on Chase a boy from her past, who is now part of the governments machine of law and order?

Dystopian future books are still all the rage, and here is another one to add to the list. While I had high hopes for this one, it fell a bit short for me. It's an interesting idea and will appeal to readers who enjoyed Divergent. Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Insurgent

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I want to say I really liked this one, but unfortunately I just didn't. Book two in the Divergent series, reads like a roller-coaster - crazy twists and turns, unexpected dives and a rocketing pace - but at times the ride was going to fast for this reader and I felt lost. I think this can be explained in a couple of ways ; firstly it had been awhile since I had read Divergent, so it wasn't really fresh in my memory where things left off ; secondly I felt that some of the characters lacked development, so much so that they were easily confused with characters from other factions ; and finally I felt that it was too violent. I did keep reading and the ending probably made it worth it and had enough of a hook to make me want to read the third book when it comes out.

Here's the summary from the book jacket:
One choice can transform you - or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves - and herself - while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and lyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable - and  even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guiltm raducak bew discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Book trailer:

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I have just finished Divergent which Lakie readers have been insisting I read - and I can see why, it's a dystopian future book, it has a lot of action, a little romance, a crazy bad guy, an oppressive government, survival in a harsh world. What's not to like? right?
Well, at times I felt things were too similiar to other books I've read, and when I read the author interview and her influences I thought to myself , oh yeah I can see that. But for those of you who maybe aren't as wide reading as me, this might be your next favourite.

I liked this review from The Guardian, it sums it up nicely.
"Close your eyes and picture this: you are sixteen years old and about to make the biggest choice of your life.You've grown up in a faction that values a particular trait Abnegation (selflessness), Candor (honesty), Amity (kindness), Dauntless (bravery) or Erudite (knowledge seeking). You could choose to stay with your parents and the place you know or you could strike out into a new faction, but beware , once you've made that decision there's no going back.
This is Beatrice's story, an Abnegation girl who is conflicted about which faction to join. On one hand she feels that she has never truely belonged in Abnegation, but on the other she doesn't want to betray her family. Her decision is made more difficult by the knowledge that she is not like most people: she is Divergent. Once in her chosen faction Beatrice must absorb the culture shocks and keep her wits about her if she is to survive as failing the initiation will render her factionless and an outcast of society. Meanwhile, government troubles are brewing and Beatrice's world is about to turn upside down."

Book Trailer.

All These Things I've Done

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant DA's son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidentally poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly Anya finds herself thrusts unwillingly into the spotlight - at school, in the news, and most importantly within her mafia family.

I've enjoyed all of Gabrielle Zevin's books so far, so I was not disappointed with this one either. I quickly fell into liking the character Anya and her family, I love the Romeo / Juliet concept of forbidden love - and family duty, I liked the dystopian future ideas although I think that they could have been elaborated on. So I'd probably give it 4/5 on the readability scale - unfortunately I think they've talked Gabrielle into making this a series, when it really is a great stand alone story.
I think lots of you will enjoy it.
REad On

Ashfall

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Did I mention that I've been on a dystopian future kick these days. Well, here's another one that made it's way into my hands- but I think I'm gonna let one of you be the first reader (I started a realistic fiction this morning.)

Summary from the book jacket:
Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don't realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.
For Alex, being alone for the weekend means freedom from his parents and the chance to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother: Then the supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence, Alex begins a harrowing trek, searching for his family and finding help in Darla, his travel partner. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.


Beware, this is another one that has a sequel -- which won't be released until later this year (probably September / October.)

The Line

The Line by Teri Hall

Well, it seems like a round of dystopian future type books has hit my desk and here is another one -- The Line by Teri Hall.

From the publisher:
An invisible, uncrossable physical barriers encloses the United States. The line is part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the otherside in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would live next to the line.
Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's Dad died in the last war. It's a safe, quiet life. Untile Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.
Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go to in order to do what she thinks is right?

Here's an animoto made book trailer that nicely shows how to give credit for pictures/music used.
Read On.

Legend

Legend by Marie Lu

Well, I have just read my favourite book of 2012!! Legend by Marie Lu, will grab you by the arm and race you down back alleys, into skiv fights, and having you cheering for both Day and June even though they are on opposite sides of the battle. This might be your next great read -- no I'm gonna take that back, this will be your next great read. I think readers will appreciate the fast pace of the story, the Robin Hood type of character that is Day, the intensity of June and ultimately figuring out that all is not as it seems. This is the first book of you guessed it a trilogy and unfortunately we have to wait until September for book 2.

Summary from the book jacket:

Once know as the western coast of the United States, the Republic is now a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors, the Colonies.

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country, she is being groomed for success in the Republic's highest circles.

Born in the slums of the Republic's Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June tries desperately to avenge Metias's death.

But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, Marie Lu has written an exhilarating first novle that is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

A long, long sleep

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

I've started digging through the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) boxes and have been picking afew jems - or what I hope will be jems, out to be reading. I also realized that I had been reading a whole bunch of non-fiction titles or dystopian future books and that it was time to change some of that up. So this one got brought home with me and while it is a dystopian future book it is also kind of a retelling of  the sleeping beauty story. I wasn't disappointed, but I don't think it will make "can't wait to tell you guys about it" list either. It reminded me a lot of - Across the Universe by Beth Revis.

Summary from the publisher:
Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in a chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the DarkTimes that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose - hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplantetary empire - is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desparate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeapordizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes  - or be left without any future at all.

Epitaph Road

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude

Summary from the back cover:

A modern utopia where 97% of the men are dead.

Kellen Dent feels all alone. In 2097, he practically is. thirty year earlier, an airborne virus nearly caused man's extinction. Now women rule the world, and poverty, crime, war and hunger have all disappeared. With tight restriction on men's behaviour, fourteen-year-old Kellen fells like he has no say in his future. When a rumored outbreak of the virus threatens Kellen's outcast father, he knows that he must warn him of the coming danger, no matter what the consequences. During his desperate race to hind his dad, Kellen uncovers a secret so frightening that his life and the future of the world will never be the same.

I only got started this morning, so far the first 50 pages have gotten my attention.   

The Eleventh Plague

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

Sorry everyone, but this one is going home with me first (actually I've nabbed the advanced readers copy) our library copy should be on its way soon. Till then this will have to be your appetizer.

Summary:
Sometimes the only way to survive is to keep moving.
America is a vast, desolate landscape left ravaged after a brutal war. Two-thirds of the population are dead from a vicious strain of influenza. People called the sickness the Eleventh Plague.
Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn was born after the war and only knows the life of a salvager. His family was among the few who survived and took to roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen's grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way  to Settler's Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. There Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. When they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves inthe midst of a battle that will change Settler's Landing and their lives - forever.

And Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins had this to say : "The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home... an excellent, taut debut novel."

Here's the book trailer.

Blood Red Road

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Well, if there is gonna be a book that will make you late for school, it might be this one. It almost made me late for the very first day of school. I was reading as fast as I could, getting more and more caught up in Saba's story. I described the book to Mr. Newman and Ms. Garner this way -- it's like The Hunger Games and MadMax and True Grit all rolled up in one. Written in an interesting dialect of the old west, this captures how language changes in different times. I thought of this book many times throughout the day and when that bell rang at 3:30 I knew I needed to get home to finish it. Wow! If your in need of an action packed trill ride with strong characters, action, drama, suspence and unpredictability - this should be your next book. To add to my admiration of the book Moira Young the author is Canadian.

Summary :
A story to make your heart beat faster.
In a wild,
lawless
land...
Saba's twin brother is stolen by mysterious, black-robed riders. She sets out ona desperate journey to find him. Ahead lie violence and treachery, and Saba will need a spirit as tough as her crossbow to survive. But her companions are the smartest bird that ever flew, and a young, handsome thief with eyes the colour of moonlight....
The book trailer.

Gone series

Plague by Michael Grant, book 4.

Will be coming out in April.






Here's the trailer.

Gone series

Lies by Michael Grant - Gone series book 3.

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
It happens in one night - a girl who died now walks among the living, Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach, and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of a boy he fears the most, Drake. But Drake is dead, or so they thought.


The book trailer.

Gone series

Hunger by Michael Grant, book 2 in the Gone series

It's been three months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
Food ran out weeks ago, starvation is immenent. Meanwhile the normal teens have grown resentful of the kids with powers. And when an unthinkable tragedy occurs, chaos descends upon the town. There's no longer right and wrong. Each kids is out for himself.
But a larger problem looms. The darkness, a sinister creature, has awakened - and it's hungry.

The book trailer.

Gone series

Gone by Michael Grant

In a blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. Gone.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly there are no phones, no internet, no television, . No way to get help. and no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents, unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers, that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday you disappear just like everyone else.

This series has a lot of fans, so I thought I'd run a profile on it. So obviously this is book one.

Here's the trailer.

And an interview with the author.

I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

A while ago, I promoted the book to our grade eight readers, I don't think it's sat on the shelves since that day, in fact it's had enough of a holds list that I've bought another copy.

Well here it is -- the movie trailer. P.S. the only reason I mention this is to generate even more need to read the book. So that you can give a good comparison.

Here it is.

Dark Life

Dark Life by Kat Falls

Here's another title that will be at the Bookfair - $11.00.

from the back cover --

The oceans rose, swallowing up the lowlands. Earthquakes shattered the continents, toppling entire regions into the rising water. Now, humans live packed into stack cities. The only ones with any space of their own are those who live on the ocean floor, the Dark Life.

Ty has spent his whole life living deep undersea, helping his family farm the ocean floor. But when outlaws attack his homestead, Ty finds himself in a fight to save the only home he has ever known. Joined by Gemma, a girl from the Topside who has come subsea to look for her brother, Ty ventures into the frontier's rough underworld and discovers some dark secrets to Dark Life ... secrets that threaten to destroy everything.

In Dark Life, Kat Falls has created a breathtaking world where the deep can be dangerous, the darkness can be deadly, and sometimes it takes extraordinary power to survive.

And the book trailer

Kat Falls - Author of Dark Life - Book Trailer - Free videos are just a click away

Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Against the odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she has made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this trilling final installment of the Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year. (from the inside cover.)

This is a hard one to blog about, I'm feeling overwhelmed! WOW what a rollercoaster ride. I feel like if I write anything it will be giving you a spoiler. It's taken me days to digest this book. It's dark, it's brutal, it's a bit gory but then so is war.

Fellow blogger Kathy Mahoney has written a terrific summary without giving anything away.--

It started as a game. It turned into a battle. In the wake of the spectacular failure of the Quarter Quell to crush the growing dissent amoung the citizen of Panem, The Capitol has declared open war on the Districts....

to check out the rest of her blog post visit: hiplibrariansbookblog.blog-city.com

Here's the trailer.

In the Small

In The Small by Michael Hague

A mysterious blue light flashes, bathing the Earth and reaching the depths of the oceans. Afterwards, birds go on chirping, and the world goes on spinning. But in those few seconds, the balance of life is forever changed...

Now fewer than six inches tall, mankind must fight for its place in the food chain, and Mother Nature begins to exact her revenge. Desperate to survive, a teenage brother and sister take the lead in the quest to discover the secret that could redeem this strange new world. But despite their courageous efforts, a dark force grows.

Great dystopian future premiss, not gimmicky like Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and although I would have liked a bit more in the details department, I think our readers will enjoy this one. The artwork is dark and atmospheric.

This world we live in

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I have loved this dystopian series of books - told in diary format following the heroic, mundane lives of a family surviving a global catastrophy. It makes you think "what would I do?" would anything I've watched on Surviorman help? Anyways I'm about half way through (and just getting to the good part Miranda and Alex are about to meet) and I felt like I should already be blogging about this great book.

Here's the summary from the book jacket:

It's been a year since a meteor collided with the moon, catastrophically altering the earth's climate. For Miranda Evans, life as she knew it no longer exists. Her friends and neighbours are dead, the landscape is frozen, and food is increasingly scarce.

Miranda and her two brothers spend their days scavenging for food and household items, while their mother stays at home and desperately tries to hold on to the ordinary activities of their previous life. But they all know that nothing is truly normal in this surreal new world they live in.

The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda's father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda's complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits the town of Howell, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

The first book is Life As We Knew It - the second is The Dead and the Gone