SHORT REVIEWS: AVALON, THE SCAR BOYS, & DARK EDEN

Avalon
by Mindee Arnott
****4 of 5 stars

Balzer & Bray
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Genre: YA, Science fiction, Fantasy, Space
Pages: 432
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett. 

 Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light. 

 Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long. Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

Plenty of action scenes, space, and a gang of teenage mercenaries make this book entertaining and fun. The plot twists in the second half of the book, along with a bit of romance thrown in (sometimes a bit obviously) keeps things interesting. Because it's told in third person mainly from the perspective of Jeth, you can see that the other characters have secrets and hidden motives, which creates some great suspense throughout the story. 

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review. 

The Scar Boys
by Len Vlahos
****4 of 5 stars

Edgmont USA
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Genre: YA, Music, Realistic fiction
Pages: 256
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
A severely burned teenager. A guitar. Punk rock. The chords of a rock 'n' roll road trip in a coming-of-age novel that is a must-read story about finding your place in the world...even if you carry scars inside and out. 

The first defining moment: the day the neighborhood goons tied him to a tree during a lightning storm when he was 8 years old, and the tree was struck and caught fire. Harry was badly burned and has had to live with the physical and emotional scars, reactions from strangers, bullying, and loneliness that instantly became his everyday reality. 

The second defining moment: the day in 8th grade when the handsome, charismatic Johnny rescued him from the bullies and then made the startling suggestion that they start a band together. Harry discovered that playing music transported him out of his nightmare of a world, and he finally had something that compelled people to look beyond his physical appearance. Harry's description of his life in his essay is both humorous and heart-wrenching. He had a steeper road to climb than the average kid, but he ends up learning something about personal power, friendship, first love, and how to fit in the world. While he's looking back at the moments that have shaped his life, most of this story takes place while Harry is in high school and the summer after he graduates.

Anyone who is into bands or music will really be able to connect with this book. Also well done is how the main character Harry becomes aware of himself and his self-pitying tendencies, and tries to work it out. He's got kind of a rough deal but the people in his life--the friends, the Obi-Wan Kenobi-like mentors, as well as the cathartic, empowering presence of music help him through those rough things and that is what makes this story work.

Sure, it's insightful as it examines feelings toward self and bullying, but really the best parts are how it gives you a taste of rock-band life, and how anyone who has ever felt like a song (or music in general) just spoke to them at a certain time in their life will get that from this book.



Dark Eden
by Chris Beckett
***3 of 5 stars

Broadway Books
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Dystopia
Pages: 448
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
On the alien, sunless planet they call Eden, the 532 members of the Family shelter beneath the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees. Beyond the Forest lie the mountains of the Snowy Dark and a cold so bitter and a night so profound that no man has ever crossed it. 

 The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return. But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark…and discover the truth about their world. 

 Already remarkably acclaimed in the UK, Dark Eden is science fiction as literature; part parable, part powerful coming-of-age story, set in a truly original alien world of dark, sinister beauty--rendered in prose that is at once strikingly simple and stunningly inventive.

On a sci-fi and kind of Avatar mixed with Lord of the Flies level it worked really well: how free &; critical thinking change things, and how stories shape and change society. Those were the most interesting parts, and the times when the plot had the most action and excitement. The big moment at the end is revelatory, but doesn't solve every little thing--which was surprisingly not disappointing at all but rather an organic conclusion of the story.

But, it felt like it was mis-marketed. It seemed to be a YA book, but after getting not that far into it I started feeling like all the content (relationship and some language), while showing an interesting picture of a somewhat primitive society, was taking away from the story and would not fit for younger YA audiences. The continual and heavy-handed emphasis that the author put on the primitive society's promiscuous approach made this book seem better put in a more mature category. I was left with too uncomfortable of a feeling at some parts to enjoy it much, but some readers might not care. Overall it was a fascinating story.

An advanced copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review.


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Other new books with a male POV that sound interesting (that I haven't read):

Phoenix Island
by John Dixon
This one sounds like a mix of X-Men and Percy Jackson. Got you interested? Just the first part of the book blurb had me curious: A champion boxer with a sharp hook and a short temper, sixteen-year-old Carl Freeman has been shuffled from foster home to foster home. He can't seem to stay out of trouble, using his fists to defend weaker classmates from bullies. His latest incident sends his opponent to the emergency room, and now the court is sending Carl to the worst place on earth: Phoenix Island. 

Zom-B Gladiators
by Darren Shan
Part of the Zom-B series by Darren Shan, this thrilling and gory sounding book is supposed to be one of the best in the series . . . if action and zombies are your thing--I can see some readers loving this stuff.

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REVIEW: CRESS

Cress
Third book in The Lunar Chronicles
by Marissa Meyer
**** 4 of 5 stars

Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science fiction
Pages: 550
Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Synopsis: 
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

This is the third book in the series, and I have to say that I still love the strong female characters who do things like fly ships and hack computers, but also how cleverly Meyer weaves together the fairy tales into her plot, staying true to the important details.

And there are a lot of characters, kind of a cumulative build-up of everyone along the way. They're very interesting, but when they're all separated the individual plot threads in alternating points of view make it seem like there's a lot going on.

My excitement and enthusiasm for this series has not dulled, despite how large the story and character pool has grown. The characters don't blend together--they all have their own individual voice. These individual stories (& love interests) as well as their combined story has that have-to-read-more quality. This is a great series--great for YA readers who are more into sci-fi and fantasy, or those readers who rarely venture outside the manga realm--they'll like this one! While this one isn't my favorite of the series, I'm definitely interested in the last book Winter, to see how things turn out!

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SHORT LIST 04: BACK TO SCHOOL BOOKS

The Boy on the Wooden Box
by Leon Leyson
This memoir is from one of the youngest children to survive the Holocaust. His incredible story involves being on Schindler's List and some unimaginable amounts of courage and strength. I have a feeling that fans of The Boy in The Striped Pajamas might like this one too.











The Bone Season

by Samantha Shannon
A futuristic dystopian society exploits those with supernatural powers--the "voyants" are used, hunted, imprisoned, and killed. The main character works for a secret crime organization, until she is captured and must try to find a way to escape. Some great plot twists and great writing are promised in this big release of the season, and this new author has been compared to Suzanne Collins and even J.K. Rowling. This first book in a series of seven also has the honor of being the first pick for the new Today Show Book Club. A series, and author, to watch??

 The Smartest Kids in the World: and How They Got That Way
by Amanda Ripley
Three American teenagers spend a year attending school in some of the world's best public school systems, and investigative journalist Amanda Ripley reveals the insights into failure, persistence, hard work, and resilience that these top-performing students and schools have achieved. Let this review in the NYT get you interested.

Night Film
Marisha Pessl
The beautiful writing and gripping plot promises to have the perfect touch of noir and suspense. The main character in this thriller is an investigative journalist who looks into the death of a young woman, and in the process has to deal with a cursed family dynasty, a reclusive cult-horror filmmaker father, and a lot more to lose than he thought. This is the second book from this bestselling author. 

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WHY FICTION IS DANGEROUS

Neil Gaiman shared a very interesting story at BEA last week, and an article I read via Shelf Awareness made me want to share it with you: 

Neil Gaiman: Why Fiction is Dangerous

"Fiction is dangerous because it lets you into other people's heads," Gaiman said. "It shows you that the world doesn't have to be like the one you live in." At the first nationally recognized science fiction convention in China in 2007, Gaiman took a party official aside and said, "While not actually illegal, science fiction is regarded as dangerous and subversive in China. Why did you say yes to a science-fiction convention?"

The party official answered, "In China, we're really good at making things people bring to us, but we don't invent, we don't innovate." When Chinese party officials visited Google, Apple and Microsoft, they asked what the executives read as children. The official continued: "They all said, 'We read science fiction. The world doesn't have to be the way it is right now. We can change it.' " "That," said Gaiman, "is the big dangerous thing." (by Jennifer M. Brown)

I never thought of fiction as being dangerous. But I like the connection between innovators and inventors and science fiction books. Seeing the world as something you can change. Reading science fiction--or really, any kind of fiction--can broaden your perspectives and make room for crazy, impossible things. 

Additionally, this story holds a powerful lesson for reluctant readers. Seeing examples of executives at recognizable brands such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft can help readers see that reading is part of being successful. Reading science fiction growing up was perhaps part of what helped those executives to become the great innovative and inventive (and extremely financially successful) people they are today. 

Science fiction, or even just fiction, or really--even just reading in general-- can be dangerous! It can also be lucrative, world-changing, mind-enlightening, perspective broadening, etc., etc. So here's a short selection of science fiction reads that are perfect for readers of all types--reluctant or not. 

Ender's Game

by Orson Scott Card

Desperately preparing for a defense against another attack from an alien race, Ender Wiggin is part of a school that develops children into battle generals and a new kind of soldier. This book is a classic, and a basis for a lot of other science fiction books. Plus it's going to be a movie soon! (Watch the trailer here)

The 5th Wave

by Rick Yancey

See my review here. 

Cassie is one of the survivors of the first four waves of alien attacks. She has to find her brother, and trusting no one is the name of the game until Evan Walker shows up. Meanwhile, Zombie does his best to lead Nugget and other kids as part of a defense against the 5th wave of attacks. But trust is often misplaced, or not given to those who deserve it. 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma, remembering an accident that happened over a year ago. Things are different, and she has to figure out what is going on with herself. She begins to question those around her as well as her own identity, and confront things she never thought were possible in the area of bio-medicine and humanity. 

Across the Universe series

by Beth Revis

See my review here. 

Amy wakes up early from a frozen sleep aboard the spaceship Godspeed, and has to find out who it was that tried to wake her up--or kill her. Elder, the future leader of the ship, tries to help Amy in discovering the secret behind what is happening. 

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

See my review here. 

It's a retelling of Cinderella, but there's much more that involves cyborgs as well as lots of juicy secrets and volatile diplomatic dynamics between a futuristic China and Lunar (a Moon kingdom). 

Insignia

by S.J. Kincaid

The earth is in the middle of WWIII, and it's natural resources are almost at an end. In a fight to gain access to resources elsewhere in the solar system, the 14 year old Tom Raines, with exceptional visual reality gaming skills, might be able to help.

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REVIEW: THE 5TH WAVE

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The 5th Wave will pull you under. With the fast-paced action scenes and mysterious nature of the humans and the aliens, this original, violent, suspenseful story blows past the other typical post-apocalyptic novels. The world that has been hit by alien forces with electromagnetic pulses, tsunamis & earthquakes, and disease,and  Cassie is determined to keep her promise to find her little brother. She has to navigate a world full of murderous aliens-posed-as-humans, a new kind of army set on a course to extermination, and knows she can't trust anyone.

The breathlessly fast action scenes, the alien-invasion premise, and the brilliant writing make this a stunning combination. Really, what sets this book apart is the writing--it's concise while still descriptive, brimming with beauty and tension, and quick and dramatic enough to be completely chilling. The sense of uncertainty that the characters experience saturates the writing to the point that you feel the suspicion and uncertainty that the characters do. All perfectly matched to a world in the middle of destruction, trying to save what humanity is left.

It's written in a few different POV's--you'll be really getting into Cassie's of-the-moment, trusting no-one, running-on-an-impossible-promise storyline, then you'll be thrown into another character who is equally believable, well-developed, and captivating. The gradual development of each character, revealing their secrets agonizingly slow, served to build up an incredible amount of suspense throughout the whole book.

It's a major plus that there is an Ender's Game feel to it--with the children's army, the training and the desperate hope they have to have. However, I get anxious when young children are placed in situations like this, and I wondered if that was entirely necessary to the plot. I feel like it could have worked without the young kids--and just stuck to teenagers. And while we're comparing to other books, notice that it shares some genre similarities with Hunger Games and that crowd, but I felt like it even ran a little deeper and was more realistic. There wasn't a whole lot of time spent world building because it takes place in the world we live in today! Which was kind of nice, not to have to go through the sometimes painful process of world building that you're subjected to in a lot of dystopian, post-apocalyptic YA.

This book touches on a lot of dark, deep issues--like humanity, survival, trust, bravery, love, and strong familial bonds. Sometimes these issues make it seem more mature, but the humor and the age of the characters keep it light and fresh. You can bet that this book is going to be a hit--but for good reason! Strong reader reaction shows that it's exciting to read, and I'm looking forward to seeing people get into it.

Definitely pick this up if you liked The Hunger Games, Ender's Game, the classic War of the Worlds, Insurgent, or really any welcome-to-the-apocalypse dystopian or science fiction books. Like Across the Universe, The Dead and the Gone, or even The Host.

Read the first 54 pages of the book here.

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REVIEW: SHADES OF EARTH

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a way to finish! I have to admit that I was a little nervous for how this third book was going to go, but it didn't disappoint! Revis picks right up where the last book left off--which I kind of like--no need to rehash everything. Shades of Earth is about Amy and Elder as they land and begin to settle on the new planet. And if dealing with life on an unknown planet isn't enough, they also have to deal with the rift between shipborns and Earthborns, surviving, and oh, facing hostile "alien" life that is trying to kill everyone.

I was a little wary of the whole landing on a new planet/alien thing, and thought, oh great--this could be weird and just awful . . . but it wasn't! It has both familiar and otherworldly elements, which gives it an overall realistic feel, with still some of the fear and mystery of the unknown . . .

Secrets, secrets, secrets. This book is full of secrets. The clues are there if you look for them, but even if you do pick up on a few things, you will still be surprised when all of these secrets come to light, and you are totally blown away (or at least far enough away that you can get a look at it all) and think, wow, I didn't see that coming. Also, there are character fatalities. Like, a lot. I don't know how she could have realistically told this story without some death (they are going from space to a world of unknown danger, after all) but Revis sure isn't scared of letting her characters die.

I'm so glad that the narrative was written in the two perspectives of Amy and Elder. Not only does it allow a lot of depth, but it allows for you to see these multiple perspectives and question whether a decision is really right or wrong. Maybe wrong from one person's perspective, but right from another. This play with ethics/morality is something that Revis did in the first book, and I love the extra dimension it adds, and how it also allows for the romance between Amy and Elder to actually seem realistic, and doesn't neglect real issues like race and prejudice.

One final note: I think that the cover change is a good thing, because it will appeal to a wider audience. The sci-fi-ness of it will attract boy readers I think, but don't let the sci-fi look of it turn you away! There is so much more to it than that! SO good!

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Little Brother

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent for the way it attacked the topic it aimed for--a "near-future" dystopian world that it shockingly similar to the one we live in right now. All the technology, and the explanatory techno-talk, really allows for a strong connection to be made between that world and ours. And once that connection is made, the implications are unsettling. It felt different for that reason--it was more real and close than the other more futuristic governments. It makes the reader take a hard look at where they stand on some issues-- privacy, or terrorists? is a very real one. Also evokes pride in the freedoms we have and how they should be defended. I wasn't in love with the characters, but their actions and development were intense and gripping. Some content.

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Across the Universe

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One of the standout dystopian novels I've read recently. Very believable with the science aspect of it, and space as a setting added a little something. Characters were well developed, especially the dilemmas they faced individually. I love how the dilemmas had you convinced that one thing was ethical and moral, and the next moment you were able to consider just the opposite; an accurate reflection of the struggles the characters were going through. Ending was fantastic.



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The Prisoner of Cell 25

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A new element of "electricity" in the teen superhero genre. That was a nice twist. Overall, the characters felt a bit worn, with the exception of some aspects of the Michael's character. Dealing with Tourette's--or any disability, for that matter-- in middle school is such a hard thing, and I like how the author dealt with that aspect. Definitely a boy book (that girls would also love). I am recommending this to many of my students this year. Lots of action, a little romance to spice things up. Overall a nice read, but nothing that made me think that this one is a complete standout in this genre, or that left me thinking about it for days after. Some interesting vocabulary was great though. Also, if you're from UT, you'll probably notice some familiar places/things . . .



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