The Danger of Small Things by Caryl Lewis

 

"The truth is that the whole world rested on a single bee's wings. The whole world." 

In the near future, when the last of the bees has died, food is scarce and society as we know it has broken down. Boys are forced to become soldiers and girls, at age 11, are taken to camps where they pollinate fruit trees by hand using brushes. It's backbreaking labor being up on ladders in trees all day in extreme heat. The girls, permanently separated from their parents, have nothing to look forward to except for forced marriages and childbearing as soon as they begin menstruating. Jess is different from other girls--her mother taught her to read and paint, and kept her out of the camps until she was 13 years old. She's a quiet outsider who is devoted to her best friend Cass, and she understands the inhumanity in how the girls are treated. A chance gift of paints gives Jess the opportunity to rebel and gives Jess hope for a more meaningful future. This slow-moving, beautifully crafted story has many similarities to The Handmaid's Tale. Young teens who are willing to enter into this dystopian world will find much to think about in this world (almost) devoid of art and literature and bees. Recommended for middle and high school library collections.  

Last Day on Mars by Kevin Emerson

 

It's hard to find science fiction for middle school readers. There are a lot of dystopian books, but actual sci fi is hard to come by. The premise here is that the sun is heating up and Earth has already burnt to a crisp. Humans fled to Mars, but since Mars will also be burning up soon, all the humans are being evacuated in enormous space ships heading on a long journey to a safer galaxy. Liam and Phoebe are 13-year-olds scheduled to be on the last ship to leave Mars. But things don't go as planned and they learn some world-shattering secrets as they scramble to leave the planet. This series starter is fast paced, full of reveals, and I know it will find many fans among my 6th-8th graders. The reviews would make you think this is a middle grade book (8-12 year old audience), but it has a lot of appeal for young teens as well. See youngteenlit.com for more on why we need more books for 12-15 year olds. Have all 3 books in the Chronicle of the ark Star trilogy on hand, because it ends on a cliffhanger. 

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

My middle school students are CRAZY about the first book in this series and have been so anxious for this sequel. The good news is that it is action packed and the story picks up exactly where book one ended. Emmet is in a capsule headed for a new planet, where he and the other Genesis survivors must trek toward the Babel outpost where they will begin mining for Nyxia. Through their encounters with the Adamites (whose real name is the Imago), the young people find more and more proof that Babel is corrupt and not worthy of their loyalty. In this book we learn about the Imago culture and society and how they plan to outsmart Babel. There are numerous twists and turns (and very little actual mining of Nyxia). One problem I have with this book is the number of characters—I have trouble keeping all of the Genesis kids straight in my head and there is not enough time to fully develop so many characters. However, I'm fully invested in Emmett and Morning and once again left hanging while I wait for book three in the series. Readers definitely need to start with Nyxia to understand this book. Fans of YA dystopian books will not be disappointed in these titles that are appropriate for grades 6-up.

Nyxia by Scott Reingten

This dystopian book is a huge favorite at my school this year. It's the story of a multinational group of kids who are going to a distant planet to mine a valuable substance called Nyxia. The teenagers have been promised a huge amount of money in exchange for three years of their lives, but it's not until they are on the spaceship that they find out that only some of them will actually get to mine for Nyxia and get the huge financial payout they were promised. Emmett's mother is ill and he desperately needs the money for her to get treatment. He joins into the sometimes violent competition, but begins to question how far he can go to win at the expense of the other competitors. The book is action-packed and full of twists and turns. The worst thing about this book is that we have to wait a whole year to find out what happens next. Highly recommended for fans of dystopian fiction. 

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Neal Shusterman never fails to amaze me. Whether his books are funny, scary, or unsettling, they always fully entertain me and make me think about complex issues. Scythe has a mind-blowing premise. In the near future, humans have created a perfect society by eliminating disease, poverty, hunger, and even old age. It's a utopia except for over population, so society has respected public servants called Scythes whose job it is to kill people. A good scythe kills without bias, chooses victims carefully, and causes little pain. Most importantly, a scythe should not enjoy the killing. In this first book of a new series, two teenagers are chosen to be apprentices to a venerated Scythe. Only one will become an official scythe, though, and it soon is determined that only one will survive the apprenticeship. The relationship between the teens and the Scythes is fascinating, and there is enough action to keep young readers on the edge of their seats. There are a few holes in the utopia (Why would a scythe ever kill someone with a weapon when there are painless pills that can be given? And how does the Thunderhead really replace government?) But this will make for great discussions with students about the fragility of life and the benefits of being (or not being) mortal.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Today's blog entry is from Noah, a high school senior. I wish I could say I wrote this book review, but I must give credit where credit is due. I did read the book and enjoy it more than I thought I would, and this captures why smart high school guys love Steelheart. 

Rarely do stories engender in me as many conflicting emotions as Brandon Sanderson’s sci-fi/fantasy novel Steelheart, the first of the Reckoners series. Tapped by Drew E. as the Galloway Book Club’s choice for the month of February, I approached the 400 page novel expecting a campy, melodramatic plotline with the approximate literary value of Go Dog Go, bound tenuously together by intermittently hard-to-follow action sequences and a poorly constructed romantic subplot. I found exactly what I expected.

And I couldn’t put it down.

Steelheart is a fantastical dystopian novel, set ten years after the appearance of a glowing red star in the heavens, known as Calamity. Roughly a year after Calamity’s appearance, certain humans began manifesting various powers—such as flight, the ability to create forcefields, super agility, impervious skin, and other equally ridiculous capabilities—and, for one reason or another, those individuals became implacably evil with no regard for human life. Such people are known as Epics.

I’m sure that description prompted many of you to role your eyes back into your head; the plot does, I wholeheartedly agree, sound patently ridiculous. But it is a siren, my friends, luring any readers within its range to dash their brain upon the rocks of literary mind candy. Seriously, after the first chapter I began counting down the time until I could read again. My sleep suffered. Had the novel been longer, a significant decline in my academic performance wouldn’t have been surprising. Throughout the course of reading the book, I suppressed the part of my brain that steadfastly reminded me how, objectively, I should find the novel silly rather than engrossing.

Sanderson’s protagonist, David, whose biblical name is possibly the only allusion in the entire book, was an eight year old when the High Epic Steelheart, now emperor of Newcago (used to be Chicago), killed his father. Now, David is an 18 year old with a deep-seated hatred for Epics and an even more intense desire for revenge. He has dedicated his adolescence to studying epics and a mysterious group, the Reckoners, who wage war on them. With incredible predictability, when a Reckoners cell appears in Newcago, David manages to join them and lobby for an attack on Steelheart.

I just read the above paragraph, and once again, I’m amazed at how much I enjoyed the book. I don’t know how it happened. What came over me? Surely IQ points dripped out of my ears whenever I cracked the novel—but, after some soul-searching, I regret nothing. Sanderson knows how to weave a tacky plotline into a web of suspense, wind up his readers, and force them, against their better judgement, to revel in a narrative brimming with superpowers, vendettas, and dramatic confrontations. To read Steelheart is stare down the darker demons of our literary tastes, which we all need to do once in a while.

Vitro by Jessica Khoury

Sophie Crue is just trying to see her mother again when she flies to Guam and hires a pilot to take her to Skin Island. Her mother is a scientist working on the high-security island and Sophie finds out that her mother's project is to create test-tube humans with chips implanted in their heads. Sophie is plunged into a dangerous world where her own mother may be the evil force that needs to be stopped. Fortunately, Sophie's pilot is her childhood friend, Jim, and he is her partner in trying to save the Vitros from their fate. There's a lot of action in this book and many characters should be dead several times over. I found it to be implausible, but addicting the more I read. Lately I have read multiple books about scientists engineering people to do their bidding—including Phoenix Island and Undivided.

The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner

Tane and Rebecca, two teenagers from New Zealand, decode a cryptic computer message send through outer space, and discover winning lottery numbers. They also discover that the message came from themselves in the future, and that winning the lottery is just the beginning of what they need to do to save the world from complete devastation. They start on a quest to follow their own instructions that leads them to buy a mini-submarine, invade an island research lab, and try to save humanity from a bizarre cloud of destruction. I can't begin to explain the science behind all this—to me it was wildly implausible. But my middle school students love this book, and I will admit that it had me wanting to read to the end. Recommended for middle school kids who like science fiction, dystopia, and action.

Starters by Lissa Price

In this dystopian story there are only two kinds of people left in the world—starters and enders. Everyone between the ages of 18 and 65 has died leaving behind only the young and the old, who had first access to the vaccination that saved them from a deadly virus. Callie is a teenager with no grandparents to claim her and her little brother so they live as squatters in a dangerous and violent city. Her brother is very ill and she decides to do something drastic to make some money. She goes to Prime Destinations, an illegal company that rents starter bodies to enders who want to reclaim their youth. However, due to a technological glitch she finds herself sharing her body with an ender who plans to use her body to commit murder. And the more she finds out about Prime Destinations the more she realizes that she may never get her body back and see her brother again. I have read a lot of dystopian novels lately in the wake of The Hunger Games and Divergent, and this is one of the better ones. Callie is an interesting character and the world she is in holds a lot of danger and suspense. Recommended for fans of dystopia (grades 7-up).

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

I'm a huge fan of Unwind and of Neal Shusterman in general, and this sequel did not disappoint. In fact, it got me even more interested in this futuristic world in which scientific advancements have made human body parts a valuable commodity—valuable enough to where people willingly justify killing teenagers for their body parts.  The main characters from Unwind are all back and fighting against unwinding in various ways. Lev is a poster child for rescued tithes, while Connor and Risa are living at the airfield and protecting hundreds of runaway unwinds. Risa, paralyzed from the waist down, sacrifices herself to protect Connor, and ends up in the company of Cam, the world's first composite human—made entirely of the body parts of unwound teenagers. His creators think he will be welcomed by humanity as the perfect person but many see him as a monster. A new character named Starkey emerges as the champion of the "storks" and an enemy to Connor's society of unwinds. It's another thought-provoking and riveting read that students are already devouring. The book stands on its own, but all the pieces are in order for an amazing third book in the trilogy.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

There are lots of books trying to be the next Hunger Games, and this is one of the best contenders that I've read in the last few years. It's set in a future-world-gone-bad and a teenager has a life-changing choice to make about her future. Society is divided into five factions—abnegation (selflessness), candor (honesty), dauntless (bravery), amity (peaceful), and erudite (intelligence)—and sixteen-year-olds must choose which virtue they will dedicate their life to. Tris makes a surprising choice and in the following weeks of training must dig deep to survive in a hostile environment. She learns some secrets about the factions and she suddenly finds it difficult to live in her black and white world when she knows that all is not as it seems. There's lots of action here and also characters to care about. I have had quite a few students (and teachers) excited to talk about this book.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

A common theme of children's literature is a group of kids taking on the world with no help from parents or other adults. While the kids in this book have wings, special powers, and have had their DNA altered, they sort of reminded me of futuristic Boxcar Children. They are a family of six, headed by a 14-year-old girl named Max. When Angel, the youngest of their "flock," is kidnapped, they all return to The School to rescue her. From there they escape to New York City and along the way they face great danger and Max begins hearing a voice in her head telling her she was created to save the world. The appeal of this book is threefold—the action and adventure, the fascinating genetic experimenting going on, and the relationships between the kids in the flock. Several book reviews have pointed out that the kids in this book talk like adults and are not believable, and while somewhat true, it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. Sometimes you just have to suspend your disbelief and enjoy a good story. Thank you to Siena in the Unbound Book Club for finally convincing me to read this book.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Call me crabby but I am having trouble getting excited about any of the newish paranormal/dystopian teen romances. Everyone is jumping on that bandwagon and in my opinion, only a few people are getting it right. I found this book to be rather ridiculous, full of plot holes, mostly depressing, and not very romantic at all. I listened to it as an audiobook and didn't like the narrator either.  Now, I'm sure some people will really like it—it's not like it's the worst thing I've ever read—I'm just saying I had trouble finishing it. Here's the premise: the earth is teeming with the unconsecrated, zombies that are dead but feed on living people and infect them with the plague so they in turn become unconsecrated. Mary lives in a village ruled by religious sisters and surrounded by a fence that keeps the unconsecrated out. Mary dreams of seeing the ocean someday but for all she knows there may be no other humans left in the world. When the village is overrun by the unconsecrated, Mary and a few others escape to a convenient fenced-in path that leads to places unknown. Mary loves Travis but is betrothed to his brother Harry, but neither is really as enticing as the thought of getting to the ocean. The good news is that it's not a steamy romance so it would be appropriate for 7th grade on up.

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

I'm a few years behind in reading this but I'm glad I waited. Now I can go right ahead and read The Death Cure without having to wait a year. This is the sequel to The Maze Runner, which I read when it first came out a couple of years ago. Thomas and the surviving Gladers have escaped the maze and now are waiting to find out lots of things, such as who really is behind WICKED? What has happened to the world? Will they ever get their memories restored? Why were they subjected to such a cruel and elaborate "trial"? However, they soon find out that no one is giving out answers to any of their questions. Instead they are thrown into yet another trial. This time they must travel 100 miles through the "scorch" to get to a safe haven. Theresa has disappeared and in her place is a boy who claims to have been part of a similar maze trial with a group of girls called Group B. Our Gladers, AKA Group A, must travel through a hot, dusty wasteland toward an abandoned city populated with cranks that have the flare. (Yes, there is a lot of jargon in this book but it all makes sense when you read it.) Oh, did I mention that WICKED has told the Gladers that they all have been infected with the deadly flare and if they make it to the safe haven they will get the cure? There were enough plot surprises to keep me reading, and some new characters that added to the complexity of this series. My complaint about The Maze Runner was that it didn't have enough character development to make me care about Thomas and Theresa. The Scorch Trials was much better in that regard and I can't wait to hear how their story ends.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron is a vast and mysterious prison, a place from which only one man has ever escaped. Within it's borders desperate groups of prisoners fight for scarce resources. Fourteen-year-old Finn is a prisoner there who has no memory of his past. In the outside world there is a wealthy girl named Claudia whose father is the warden of Incarceron. She has been groomed her whole life to marry the heir to the throne and take over the kingdom when she is queen. However, the current prince is not her first fiánce—the real prince was killed years ago in a suspicious accident. When Finn and Claudia both acquire crystal keys that allow them to communicate with each other they band together to try to help Finn escape from Incarceron. I saw this book described as science fantasy and that's a good description. It has lots of action and the author has created a pretty amazing world for her characters to live in. Science fiction and fantasy fans will like it. (And the sequel, Sapphique, is already published.)

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Nailer is a teenager trying to survive in a cruel future world. He lives on the Gulf Coast in the wake of environmental destruction. Beached oil tankers just offshore provide a living for desperate children who scavenge them for wires and copper and anything else they can sell. Just when Nailer thinks he has made a lucky strike by finding a newly beached luxury ship he finds a half dead girl on board. His choice to keep her alive leads him toward the possibility of new opportunities but also great danger. This dystopian adventure moves at a fast pace and navigates the reader through a depressing and dark future—one in which the divide between rich and poor seems insurmountable. The theme of loyalty shapes Nailer and those around him. I did not connect with this book as much as I did with Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeiffer or Unwind by Neal Shusterman but it has gotten a lot of acclaim and certainly is entertaining and thought provoking. Fans of dystopian novels will definitely want to read this.

Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

Imagine what it would be like if almost everyone in the world suddenly went blind. What would happen to society? Could human beings survive? Then add to this scenario a new breed of plant that can pull up its roots, move around, and kill people with a deadly whip-like stinger. That's the premise of this sci fi classic written in 1951. It sounds almost ridiculous but I could not put this book down. The main character, Bill, has his sight spared because he happened to have bandages over his eyes during the meteor shower that blinds most of the human race. He wakes to a strangely quiet world where no cars, buses, trucks or airplanes are operating and where people are staggering around trying to acquire food. He quickly realizes that nothing will ever be the same and that it will be pointless to try to save the lives of all the newly blinded people. He finds a handful of other people who were not blinded and together they must figure out how the human race can continue. I recommend this book to kids or adults who like to ponder what the future could bring.

Matched by Ally Condie

It is Cassia's 17th birthday and the Society holds a banquet to let her know who her match is. Miraculously, her match is her best friend Xander, who she has known all her life. Cassia is thrilled until she sees a fleeting image of another boy on her data card. Could he be her real match? He is Ky, an introverted orphan from the outer provinces whom she also has known for several years. For the first time in her life Cassie starts to have doubts about the Society and the lack of choice it gives its citizens. Before her grandfather dies at his scheduled time on his 80th birthday he slips her an illegal poem that begins "Do not go gentle into that good night." Cassia can't get these words out of her head and she slowly begins a relationship with the forbidden Ky. Ally Condie has created an interesting Society, with obvious parallels to The Giver and other dystopian literature. What makes this story unique is the focus on relationships and poetry and Cassia's slow awakening to the possibilities of a different life. My disappointment with the book is that the ending is unresolved. The author is planning a trilogy, but I would have preferred more resolution in this first volume. Recommend this to readers from 7th through 12th grades—especially fans of romance.

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

What makes a person a person? If your brain is scanned and uploaded to a computer and placed in a man-made body are you real? Popular Lia Kahn has a fatal accident--but in the future those with money can essentially have their brains transplanted into bodies that will never feel pain or die. Lia feels like herself--she has all of her memories and feelings and she has learned to control her new body. But she is unable to return to her old life. Even her best friends and family see her as a "skinner" or a "mech" and as much as they pretend things are the same Lia realizes that her previous life is over. Her only choice seems to be to join up with other "mech heads" who are taking full advantage of their new invincible status. It's an intriguing concept (and ultimately a pretty depressing concept). I enjoyed the book but I did not feel as connected to Lia as I would have liked to. She was a selfish, mean character before the accident and after the accident I don't think she had the emotional depth that a teenager who had lost everything would have had. It joins a growing list of books dealing with how far science can go to save a human life, including Eva by Peter Dickinson, Airhead by Meg Cabot, and The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (a much better book with more ethical questions raised). By the way, this book has some mature content and I recommend it for 9th-12th grade readers.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I am not reading any other reviews or opinions of this book until after I write this post. I was anxiously awaiting this book and it did not disappoint me. I mainly read these books because of the characters—I am invested in Katniss, Peeta, and Gale and how they deal with the horrible, fascinating, and cruel world they are thrown into. The book begins in District 13 where most of the characters we've come to know (well, the ones that aren't dead) are starting a new life. (Except for Peeta who is being held captive in the capitol and is clearly being brainwashed and possibly tortured.) The rebellion is in full force and seems to be pretty successful. All the rebels need is their symbolic Mockingjay dressed in her costume and acting in inspiring commercials for the war (called propos). But Katniss has become angry and bitter. All she wants is to rescue Peeta and to kill President Snow. But she cooperates and of course disobeys orders and jumps right into the most dangerous situations possible. Several times I thought I knew where the action was going. Every time Suzanne Collins completely fooled me. Like the other books it is high on action and futuristic technology but we never lose sight of the humanity of the characters that we love. I won't say anything about the ending except to say that I was satisfied. Not happy, but it was fitting and perhaps all we could really hope for.