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Completamente lista para el viernes festejar mi cumple!

Totally ready to celebrate my birthday on Friday!

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Pfeffer, Susan Beth. 2008. The dead & the gone. (June 2008)
The dead and the gone is the much-anticipated follow up novel to Life As We Knew It. Though the characters and setting are different--New York not Pennsylvania--the terror and uncertainty of future days is the same. Our narrator is Alex Morales, an older teen (perhaps 17?), whose world is about to be turned upside down. While there was set up in Life As We Knew It, the dead and the gone begins with the BIG event. Wednesday, May 18... At the moment when life as he had known it changed forever, Alex Morales was behind the counter at Joey's pizza, slicing a spinach pesto pie into eight roughly equal pieces. (1). Of course, at that moment, Alex doesn't know that. He's just your average teen. His mom was a nurse called into work that evening unexpectedly. His dad was out of the country attending the funeral of Alex's grandmother. His older brother, Carlos, is away from home and in the Marines. Thus when the calamity happens, it is on Alex and Alex alone to protect his family--his two younger sisters--and begin the fight for their ultimate survival.

In Life As We Knew It, no matter how bad it got, Miranda, the narrator, could relax a bit. Her mom was there for her and her brothers. Her mom was there to tell her what to do. There to make a plan. There to support her, comfort her, and yes, at times to annoy her. But Alex, Briana, and Julie. These three siblings have to face the unknown alone. It's not that they're completely alone, the dead and the gone introduces the element of faith and community in the midst of disaster, but without parental guidance, support, and love. Imagine being that age when the world starts to crumble. When the volcanoes and epidemics start. To know that the world will never be the same again. To know that if humanity is to survive this at all, it will be only a few, only the strongest, only the bravest. There is no safe place anymore. There is no reassurance, no promise of a better day, a brighter day. Now imagine being the caregiver of not one but two younger sisters. Sisters who'd fall apart without you. Sisters who are depending on you, trusting in you to provide for them, to protect them. Alex bears a heavy burden. Not only is he fighting for his own survival, he's fighting for the lives of his sisters.

As for his parents, his extended family, his friends and neighbors and classmates, too many are listed as "the gone" their final fates unknown in this captivating companion novel. While Life As We Knew It showed the private battle of one family for survival, the dead and the gone captures the story of a neighborhood, a community. I'm not sure whether to be surprised or not, but one thing that intrigues me is the element of faith and religion in this novel. When so many elements of society are falling apart, are crumbling, the Catholic church is strong and resourceful. They're not abandoning their flocks. They're a place where the faithful can come to rally, to rebuild their strength, regain their focus. They are actually providing for the needs of others. It's not that they're selfless. But they haven't forgotten the message of Christ either. They are living out the compassion of Christ who said...in this world you will have trouble, but I leave you my peace. That's what I see their mission as in some ways, caring for the physical and spiritual needs of the faithful. They can't stop the bad things from happening, they can't "solve" any problems. But they can be there, they can provide solace and peace for those who feel so downtrodden, so troubled.

Those who have read Life As We Knew It, will know that this is an intense novel. That it will leave you cold and hungry and a bit anxious of full moons. The dead and the gone is a companion novel to Life As We Knew It, but it stands alone. You don't need to have read Miranda's story to embrace this one. Alex's story is just as intense, just as strong, just as captivating, just as memorable. However, I would encourage everyone to go ahead and read Life As We Knew It in the months leading up to the release of the dead and the gone. There are so many memorable scenes, memorable passages that whether you read the book or listen to the audio, it is sure to haunt you.

You may read my review of Life As We Knew It here and here.
You may visit the author's blog here.
Other reviews of the novel are here, here, here, here, and here.

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Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2005. Double Identity.

Bethany has always thought her parents acted oddly. She didn’t live like other children. Her parents were different. She’s almost thirteen years old and had never spent a night away from her parents. In fact, her parents had never gone out and left her with a babysitter even. They were with her constantly. They acted as if she might disappear or vanish if they were separated. They were holding onto her much too tightly to be ‘normal’ or what Bethany thought of as normal. Yet when her mother begins to have nervous breakdowns--to cry irrationally for days or weeks, she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that her parents are keeping a big secret from her. The secret becomes even more of a mystery--a dangerous mystery--when they pack her up and take her to visit an aunt she’s never known. An aunt she’s never even heard mentioned. Dropped off on her aunt’s doorstep, she is treated by the town like she’s a ghost. Something is definitely not normal here. Can Bethany figure out the secret before her mother completely loses it? Why does everyone act so strangely around her? And why is everyone calling her Elizabeth?

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2003. Escape From Memory.

Kira was just a giggling girl at a slumber party who let herself be hynotized for laughs, but suddenly her life is being turned upside down and this ‘laughing matter’ is becoming an issue of life and death. Kira remembers something odd--something that doesn’t fit in with the stories she’s been told about her life. What does it all mean? Seeing her mother’s reaction, Kira knows something is being hidden from her...but she couldn’t have predicted the magnitude of the secret. Someone is willing to KILL to find out just what Kira knows. ESCAPE FROM MEMORY is an exciting, fast-paced science fiction novel.

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Gaiman, Neil. 2007. Interworld.

It would have been hard for me not to enjoy Interworld by Neil Gaiman. It's science fiction. It's alternate realities. It's other dimensions. It's Neil Gaiman. Take any one of those, and there's a good chance I'll enjoy...but all of them...and it would be impossible for me not to.

Joey Harker is our teen hero. He's directionally challenged in the real world, but he's about to go where few have gone before--walking between worlds, walking between realities. And at this--directionally challenged or not--he excels. This "gift" makes him a valuable asset to both the good guys and the bad guys. And this "gift" may just cost him his life in a war he never expected to fight.

First line: Once I got lost in my own house.

When Joey and his classmates are turned loose on the streets in an experiment for his Social Studies class and told to find their way to a certain place by a certain time, Joey's sense of direction will be tested like never before. The class is paired up--maybe in twos or threes I don't remember the exact number--but Joey's partner, not so lucky. When Joey gets lost, he sets off on his own--telling his partner that he'll be back in a minute or two. He doesn't return...not for thirty-six hours. And when he does return he has amnesia. He has no idea of what happened while he was missing. Though, of course, the reader does.

Interworld is an exciting, action-packed adventure.

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Shusterman, Neal. 2007. Unwind.

 "Funny but when he was little Connor was terrified of the boogeyman.
He would have to sleep with the lights on, he would have his parents
check his closet every night. They told him that the boogeyman wasn't
real, but they lied. The Bill of Life made the boogeyman real, and he
didn't need the closet; he came walking right in through the front door."
(4)

Unwind by Neal Shusterman is dystopia at its best. Connor is born into a new world. A world set after the Heartland Wars or the Second Civil War. The fight was between people in the pro-life camp and those in the pro-choice camp. The compromise? The Bill of Life. "The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively 'abort' a child…on the condition that the child's life doesn't 'technically' end. The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called 'unwinding.' Unwinding is now a common, and accepted, practice in society." (Prologue/1) Imagine living in a world where—if you're a teenager—your life is constantly in danger. If you anger your parents just one time too many, you could be on the next bus out of town heading to a Harvest camp or the "chop shop" as it's called in slang. Your organs—every single part of you (except maybe your appendix), stripped away and 'donated' to make someone else's life better. This scenario is about to become terrifyingly real to three teenagers. Told through many narrators, Unwind is a suspenseful, fast-paced read. While the premise is fascinating in and of itself, Shusterman manages to make this story resonate with strong characters. The world he creates is haunting yet not completely without hope and redemption as people—teens and adults—team up to change the world one step at a time. To read the complete review, visit the October issue of The Edge of the Forest.

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Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2006. Among the free.

This is the final title I'm going to have time to squeeze in most likely for the Dystopian fiction challenge. (It ends November 6th). This is the the last in the Shadow Children series, I believe. The narrator is Luke who has been our on again off again narrator for the series. (For the most part, I think the changing narratives works.) Luke is working undercover for the Population Police. (Really, he's just hoping that he and his friends can sabotage the bad guys in enough little ways that they won't have to have a planned, detailed offensive strike.) Life isn't easy for Luke. It never has been. He's still haunted by the loss of his first friend who 'sacrificed' her life for third children everywhere by making a stand and calling for action. The day for action may have finally come though...as citizens everywhere...throughout the land...begin to rebel against the Population Police. This book is exciting with plenty of thrills and twists along the way. Will Luke ever be safe? Can he ever be proud to be third?

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The first time I read Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer was last fall--late October, early November--it was not "winter" yet, but it was after the first frost. I remember curling up in bed and getting colder, and colder, and hungrier and hungrier. I read it at night. In one sitting. And of course, I dreamed about being cold, hungry, and afraid. And all throughout the next day, I kept thinking about their frantic grocery store trip. Of course, if you HAVEN'T read Life As We Knew It you haven't the foggiest idea of what I'm talking about. You can read my first review here.

Imagine waking up one day to find that everything had changed practically over night. All over the world massive destruction due to one natural disaster after another. And what if there was no way to turn back the clock. To wake up knowing that each day will be worse than the one before. No electricity. No phone service. No gas or oil. Limited food supplies. What is there left to hope for? How would you live your last days?

Meet Miranda your personal guide through this terrifying adventure.

The second time I "read" it, I listened to it on audio book. The narrator is Emily Bauer and I just have to say she did an incredible job giving Miranda a voice. From the beginning chapters where Miranda is your typical teen--a bit shallow, a bit whiny, a bit superficial--to the earth-shattering, life-changing depths that Miranda takes on as her character changes day by day, hour by hour. I thought the text was haunting to read, but it is even more haunting to listen to the story unfold. Emily Bauer was believable as 'Miranda' from beginning to end. That isn't always the case with audiobooks. Typically, I don't bother with audiobooks. For one thing, I read very fast. Audio just slows me down. (Not that I'm following along with a book, like those kiddie records waiting for the bell to ding.) But I am so glad that I made an exception for Life As We Knew It. It was beautifully, beautifully done. It was slower, but in some ways that made it even better. The words were able to sink in fully. The situations, the circumstances, the characters seemed to resonate more with time. Since it took about a week--maybe a week and a half--to listen to the seven discs (or is six???), I found myself lost in the story...thinking about the characters all the time. It was more emotional, more intense. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that this was my second time to read it. The first time I was too concerned about finding out what happened, too caught up in the plot to really savor each and every page fully.

Anyway, I can't recommend this one highly enough!!! And there will be a companion novel to Life As We Knew It. So we can get even more perspectives on this terrifying catastrophe.

Hint: If you want to read this one yourself, you should definitely check out her blog. Especially the post that says "Another One Dusts the Byte"

http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/

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Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 1995. Running Out of Time.

Jessie Keyser has lived her whole life in a small village, Clifton, where the year is 1840 and a disease is threatening to become an epidemic. But what she doesn’t know can save her...for outside her small village, the year is 1996. In the 1980s, a millionaire had a ‘brilliant’ idea of creating an authentic tourist attraction where volunteers would throw themselves back in time while tourists secretly watched. Jessie’s mother and father were two of the original volunteers. The rules were simple. Anyone was supposed to be able to leave if they changed their mind. While they couldn’t discuss the ‘twentieth-century world’ with just anyone, they could tell their children once they turned twelve. They were supposed to have access to modern medicine in the case of life-threatening illnesses. But what happens when the rulebook is thrown out? Can Jessie save her village from disaster? Full of secrets and surprises, RUNNING OUT OF TIME is an exciting science fiction read.

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As I mentioned on Reading with Becky a few days ago, I have been reading (make that have read) Extras by Scott Westerfeld. I finished the book late on Tuesday. How to describe it here? Hmmm. Well, I've resolved to post NO SPOILERS. Since Westerfeld's blog posted the text of Chapter One, I consider that to be something I can freely discuss here.

Westerfeld's latest book, Extras, is due out this October. It begins three years after the mind-rain. What is the mind-rain? That is the phrase used to describe the global effects of millions of people's minds becoming unpretty. Specials concluded with Tally and David reuniting to become the new Specials who would watch societies and keep a look out for trouble and danger.

Extras opens with a girl, Aya Fuse, lying in bed and talking to her AI hovercam, Moggle. I like the similarities between the openings of Uglies and Extras. Both feature young fifteen year old girls, Uglies to be exact, who are planning on crashing a 'New Pretty' party. Of course their motivations are completely different, but their ability to pull off tricks makes Tally and Aya somewhat similar. But a lot has changed in three years. For one, this Uglyville and New Pretty Town are on the other side of the world--Japan. Second, this is all after the mind-rain so very few if any are left bubbleheaded. (The ones that are bubbleheaded, are bubbleheaded by choice.) This age group still parties. Parties a lot. But they don't all look alike anymore. They don't all think alike anymore. There are now dozens of dozens of different cliques. (Manga, tech, pixel-heads, kicker, surge-monkey, etc.) Third, this is a society based on fame and popularity. And what Aya wants more than anything in the world is to be famous. She'd have to be invisible to sneak into the party but that was no problem..."Aya Fuse was an expert at being invisible. Her face rank was proof of that. It sat unmoving in the corner of her vision: 451,396. She let out a slow sigh. In a city of a million, that was total extra-land." (4) Tally's driving motivation in Uglies was to be pretty. Aya's is to be famous. Both girls are strong, independent, and stubborn. Aya's story can't be separated from her friends. Hiro, her brother, Ren, her brother's best friend, Frizz, her 'radically honest' love interest, and Moggle, her AI hovercam.

As far as the plot goes, Aya's adventures are exciting, intense, suspenseful, and surprising. And that's all you'll get from me!

I think Westerfeld has yet again captured what it feels like to be fifteen and invisible and waiting for 'real life' to begin. That moody in-between time of wanting more. Of wanting all that life has to offer right then and there.

I have loved all of Westerfeld's YA novels: So Yesterday, the Uglies trilogy, Peeps and Last Days, the Midnighter trilogy. But I think this might just be my new favorite. It was very, very good.

Read my review of Uglies, Pretties, and Specials. I reread them all just before reading Extras.

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Jablonski, Carla. 2007. Silent Echoes.

Silent Echoes is the story of two teens separated by over a century. The first, Lucy Phillips, is a young lady living with her father. They are essentially con artists. They're latest scam is cashing in on the spiritualist movement. She pretends to be a medium and contact the dead. The last thing Lucy ever expected to hear was a voice speaking inside her head.

Meet Lindsay. Lindsay is your somewhat typical New York City teen. She's unhappy at the moment because her alcoholic mother just got married. Married to a guy she had only known a few weeks. A man Lindsay didn't meet until after the fact. She went off to camp only to return to the news that not only was her mom married...but that the whole family was packing up and moving. New school. New city. New stepfather. No wonder she hid herself away in a closet and whispered "help me."

Lucy couldn't believe it. Not only was she hearing a voice saying, "Help me." She was able to have a conversation with this 'spirit.' The audience of New York's elite was mighty impressed and her father was beaming. His con of a daughter had become quite an actress. But while Lucy is benefitting from the situation--her newfound gift--the voice on the other side, Lindsay, is doing miserably. You see, after a few days of hearing voices, she's convinced she's lost it. She's had a nervous breakdown. So, of course, she ends up eventually in a mental ward hospitalized for schizophrenia.

Two time periods. Two teens. Both from odd and somewhat broken homes. Both in need of guidance and encouragement. Can they help each other out of their hard times? Can both girls get their happily ever after endings?

I really didn't know what to expect from this one. Seriously. I'm usually one to shy away from anything having to do with mediums and psychics. But the idea of two teens communicating to one another across time (time being the key word) appealed to the science fiction reader in me. And in fact, the modern-day teen, Lindsay, is a sci fi fan of sorts. So part historical novel, part realistic fiction, part science fiction. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

http://www.carlajablonski.com/

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Westerfeld, Scott. 2006. Specials.

Specials finishes the series strong. [Warning: While I will not include spoilers for the book, Specials, I really can't avoid giving away some plot elements of the middle book, Pretties. So if you haven't read Pretties but are planning on it at some point, you might want to hold off on reading this review of Specials.] While I loved Uglies, I was less enthused with Pretties. But with Specials, I'm back into the story and loving it. Tally and Shay. It always comes down to the conflict between Tally and Shay. First, they're friends. Then they're enemies. Then they make peace. Then they get mad. Then they get even. Then all is well. All is well until it isn't. It's a very topsy turvy friendship. A complicated relationship. Is it always healthy? No. But the uncertainy is almost always a constant so it is a familiar comfort as well.

The first book, Uglies, addresses the issue of identity. Explores how you see yourself. How you know yourself. The entire series is about that really. In the first book, we've got Tally identifying herself with the "ugly" label she's been brought up in believing. In the second book, we've got Tally identifying with the "pretty" label she's been surgically altered to believe. And in the third book, well, she identifies herself with the "special" label. Again another label put on her by society. She's been surgically altered. She's been brainwashed. She's been trained. At every step in her development there has been someone--an authority figure--telling how to think, what to think, even when to think. And she's really had no way of breaking free of that mindset. That control. Even when she thinks she's almost there...something always happens so she ends up back under someone else's control.

Society putting labels on people. Society trying to tell people how to think and how to behave. Not so farfetched is it? Conformity and nonconformity are not new issues in literature. Gone With The Wind is all about one wild woman who refuses to conform to her society's definitions and rules of ladyhood. The Awakening. Anna Karenina. And countless others I could list if I took the time. Most dystopic fiction in fact comes down to this issue of conformity.

But it goes above and beyond conformity. The books also address the issue of peer pressure and cliques. Individuals vs. groups. Can a person be happy--be content--only if they're part of a group? Do you have be part of a certain group to feel loved? valued? wanted? Is it more important to fit in and be a part of the gang--the group--than it is to be yourself? Is thinking collectively good or bad? What are the pros and cons of such close fellowship? Is this a problem where teens are concerned? Or is this a lifelong issue?

In Specials, Tally has to question and challenge everything. But mostly she has to challenge and question herself. You see, sometimes you're your own worst enemy. Tally's mind is exactly that. She's got to battle herself--battle her past--and come to some sort of decision about who she is and what she wants.

As a reader, I feel you have to question Tally. These three books are told from Tally's point of view. But her "self" changes moment by moment...week by week...month by month at times. The three books follow the course of one year, but at times it feels like Tally has been at least four or five different "selves." Each "self" feels authentic to Tally at the time. But each "self" has been manipulated in some way or other. How can you discern what's real or not real in a circumstance like that. I think in some ways, Tally can be an unreliable narrator. The reader definitely knows more than she does at times. For example, I doubt the reader ever feels that Special Circumstances (led by Dr. Cable) are the good guys and that David and the Smokies are the villains.

Is Tally likeable? Not always. Sometimes I got very frustrated with her. But no matter what I always was wanting the best for her. I wanted her to have a happy ending. Is Shay likeable? Not really. Sometimes she's a really strong, really good character. Other times, she's very catty. Very angry. Out for revenge. She just seems really spiteful at times. More so than Tally ever does. But then again, it all comes down to point of view. If the books were from Shay's point of view, I have no doubt she'd be painted as the sympathetic one while Tally would be seen as the one who did this, that, and the other to ruin Shay's life.

Character development. The strongest (most well developed) characters we have are Shay and Tally. We've got a lot of minor characters. Fausto. Croy. Peris. Dr. Cable. Matty. But the love interests--Zane and David--aren't that strong in my opinion. David rules the first book. He's the "hero" if you will. The one we're supposed to swoon for and adore. And Zane, well, the second book is his territory. He's the pretty one. The one that Tally is in love with in the moment. He's the current boy toy. But the third book, well, it's hard to say. David is back. Zane makes his appearance. But things have changed. Dramatically changed. I can't really say more without spoiling the third book, but let's just say that Tally's feelings for both have changed. And that is something she has to struggle with and battle as well. I think some people are satisfied with the ending of Specials. And I know some people aren't. I'm undecided. Still. Even after the second read I still can't make up my mind when it comes to this triangle.

But I definitely enjoyed it. And I do love the series as a whole.

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Westerfeld, Scott. 2005. Pretties.

I just finished reading Pretties by Scott Westerfeld. It is the second in the series. While I had only good memories about Uglies, Pretties has...well...in all honesty not stuck with me like the original. I knew it was about Tally. And I knew it was about her being pretty. And I remember how it ended. (I won't spoil that here.) But about 80% of the middle I had clearly forgotten. While I feel that Pretties is not nearly as clever as the original, it will keep readers reading on simply because they will want to know what happens to Tally and Shay and Peris. (Okay, maybe no one really cares about Peris. But Tally and Shay are pretty significant characters. And I don't think anyone who read and liked Uglies...can leave them hanging there....not caring to know what happens next.)

Tally is pretty now. So is Shay. They are running with the "Crim" crowd of bubble heads. To be a "Crim" you would have had to have been a trickster as an Ugly. A rule breaker. A rebel. And some of this mindset has remained. This is a group that likes to do tricks. Play pranks. Be seen as the rebels by the other pretties. Other pretties introduced to the story are Fausto and Zane. They will be important to the story. Especially Zane.

The story opens with Tally, Shay, Zane, and fellow Crims going to a pretty party. (Parties are all they ever do.) This party is slightly different. Someone from the Smoke--a teen who is still Ugly--is crashing the party to deliver a very important message to Tally. When Tally sees her old friend, Croy, she doesn't quite know how to react. Once you're pretty, seeing a person in their ugly-state is painful and unpleasant. But he tells her that he left something for her--he's hidden something just for her--in room 317 in the Valentino building.

Tally finds the mystery very bubbly-making. Tally and Zane set out to solve this mystery. What did he leave for her? Who is it from? What is expected from her? The solution is only the beginning of their problems...

Can Tally and friends ever be free of the mind control of the City?

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Westerfeld, Scott. 2005. Uglies.

I have nothing but good memories surrounding Uglies. My first introduction to Miss Tally Youngblood, trickster fifteen year old, was in the fall of 2005. From the early summer sky was the color of cat vomit to I'm Tally Youngblood...make me pretty, I was hooked. So much so that I went out to buy my own copy of the book the very next morning. But in 2005, I wasn't blogging. (I probably didn't know what a blog even was.) I did, however, review it in Librarians Choices 2005. It was one of my picks. I remembered it was one of the hardest reviews I'd ever written-- there is a word limit for Librarians Choices--and it came back with a lot of red marks all over it.

Here is my original review:

Set three to four hundred years in the future, Uglies, a dystopia, focuses on a global community of pretty people. Tally Youngblood introduces readers to this picture-perfect community where appearances are not a matter of one's genes but a matter of extensive plastic surgeries planned by the Community of Morphological Standardss. Tally and Shay are best friends awaiting their sixteenth birthdays and their surgeries after which they'll leave Uglyville behind and join the New Pretties. But Shay doubts that the "Pretty Committee" is as concerned with equality and justice as it appears, suspecting that ulterior motives may lay behind the surface. Days before her sixteenth birthday, Shay runs away leaving a cryptic message for her friend to find the way to Smoke, the rebel community of "ugly" outsiders. When the authorities discover Shay's disappearance, Tally is asked to make the hardest decision of her life: betray Shay and the rebel community to the authorities or face living life ugly.

Uglies is a fast-paced novel taking a typical YA topic--self esteem, conformity, and the perception of beauty--and treating it in a new and ultimately satisfying way by speculating about where current values of beauty and perfection might lead us as a society if taken to the extreme. By setting Uglies in the future instead of a contemporary high school, Westerfeld is able to provide reflection and commentary on a serious topic in a new and original way.

Note: Today's Thoughts are continued on Reading With Becky in today's post: Uglies Continued...

Today's thoughts:
Uglies is a novel that has stayed with me these past two years. And it does stand the test of repeated readings--not every book can you know--so I think this one will be with us for a while. While I find the American cover to be somewhat appealing, the UK cover I think does the book a little more justice. I am not anti-Barbie doll. Anyone who knows me knows that. (And oh the stories they could tell on me). But when reading the book, it does remind me of my "maturing" process when playing. There are different sizes of Barbies--babies, toddlers, Stacey-size dolls, Skipper-size dolls, and then of course full-grown Barbie dolls. Some of these jumps are quite a leap requiring lots of imagination. But when it was time to "age" or "grow" a character, they'd be this complete transformation into a new doll. So of course reading Uglies I thought of all these Skipper dolls waiting just waiting to be made into full-fledged Barbies. But in the past few years, I guess probably since 2000, there have been some changes in the doll industry. For one, Skipper got a makeover. She is now taller. She isn't quite as tall as Barbie, but she's tall enough to be "adult." And her face isn't as babyish. So this new-and-improved doll doesn't have to sit around waiting to be grown up. She can be happy just as she is.



and




compared to....

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I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book. I didn't know if I'd love it or hate it. But it surprised me, I really did enjoy it. After hearing such awful awful things about the movie, I didn't have this one very high on my to read list until it started popping up in quiz results. First, the "Which Book Are You" quiz and then the "Which Sci-Fi Crew Are You" quiz. That definitely made me curious.

The book is the "story" of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect and their 'hitchhiking' adventures in the galaxy following their escape from Earth moments before its destruction. Ford is an alien who has been stranded on Earth for over a decade. He originally came to Earth to update the entry on Earth for the widely popular book Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy. Their adventures bring them face to face with some interesting people and in and out of dangerous and unique situations.

What makes this book great in my opinion...is the humor. It is just so fun to read from the very first page. It is written in a very unique, very funny narrative voice. I didn't always love the people and the places, but I always loved how the story was being told.

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Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 1998. AMONG THE HIDDEN.

Among the Hidden is the first in a seven book science fiction series entitled the Shadow Children. Luke is a third child. That alone sets him apart. Makes his very existence a threat to the status quo. In a world where the Population Police have not only ruled that each family is only allowed two children...but where they enforce the law with deadly force, Luke’s existence puts his whole family at risk. Before his twelfth birthday party, Luke’s life was restricted but not unbearable. For a child who’s never known the joy of going shopping, going to school, having friends outside his immediate family, he cannot miss these things. But when his family’s farm’s neighboring land (woods, farmlands, etc) becomes prime real estate development...then his world does change. Suddenly, he’s not allowed outside even in the backyard. No longer can he run and play in the yard. To help in the garden. He can’t even be allowed near any windows--whether the blinds are drawn or not--for fear someone might see his shadow. Restricted almost exclusively to the attic, Luke’s life seems one of lonely despair. But when he sees another face in the window of a neighbor’s house--one who shouldn't be there because she has two older brothers--he begins to realize that he might not be alone after all. He then has to weigh the risks. Is it worth finding a friend if it jeopardizes his life in hiding? What if he’s caught? What if they’re both caught? Is it better to be safe and hidden? Or is there another way to live--a better way to live?

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Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 2000. Turnabout.

In the year 2000, Amelia Lenore Hazelwood was nearing the end of her life. At a hundred years old, she didn’t expect much out of life. True, she had gone to see her family the year before for Easter, but she knew she was more of a worry to her family than anything else. And she barely even knew her great-grandchildren. But then everything changed. It all started when she signed the rest of her life away to science.

In the year 2085, Melly Hazelwood is celebrating her sixteenth birthday. Or is she? It’s hard to remember her real age and her new age. One thing for certain, the second time around she is doing things differently. You see, Melly and the other ‘subjects’ of the experiment were given a seemingly ‘magic’ drug to unage them. Year by year, their age is shrinking. After her sixteenth birthday party, Melly is now 15! The only problem...the scientists never quite got around to finding ‘the cure’ to stop the unaging process.

Now Melly and her best friend, Anny Beth, are trying to figure out just what they’ll do when they’re too young to take care of themselves. Can they find someone nice enough to adopt a child that will need to be raised in reverse? Already people are beginning to ask questions like weren’t you older when I hired you to babysit? And Melly has lost her license to drive. Soon they’ll be at an age where they will have to depend on someone else. And one thing they both agree on: they don’t trust the agency that experimented on them.

The story is told through a set of flashbacks ranging from 2000 to 2085. It is a very interesting, very exciting read.

http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-turnabout.html

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Stead, Rebecca. 2007. First Light.

This book has almost convinced me that I should start thinking about year-end celebrations and countdowns. Why? It has one of the best beginnings. It practically shouts, "Read me! Read me!" from the very first sentence.

"Most boys his age had never touched paper." One simple sentence that describes a complete other-world-within-a-world. That probably makes no sense whatsoever. If you're an extremely devoted reader of "Becky's Book Reviews" and you have an amazing memory OR if you've read White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean for yourself, you know that one of the main characters is quite mad and he is searching for a hidden underground world or civilization beneath the ice of the antarctic. That book is a fairly good study of insanity. But this book, First Light, is a brilliant book about such a world. Not that the underground world or civilization is un-human. They're almost super-human in some ways. But I don't want to give too much of the plot away. Seriously this is one you just need to read for yourself. Trust me.

Another reviewer has mentioned some similarities between First Light and City of Ember. This is partially true. Both feature young characters who live in an underground world--a world that was created to escape something dangerous and life threatening from the surface--who dream of more. Who dream of reaching a world of sun and stars. Of going back to the outside world. Of course, in City of Ember, the people aren't quite sure what--if anything--exists out there. And it is only a few brave kids who risk it all to see. Likewise in First Light, it is a young boy and a young girl who venture forth to the surface.

But while there are some similarities, there are enough differences to make First Light truly unique. If you loved City of Ember, you may very well enjoy First Light. But I think many people will enjoy First Light. Why? It's exciting. It's full of adventure. It creates a whole world-within-a-world. And it is all done in a very enjoyable, believable way.

Before I get too distracted, let me just give the basics. Thea and Mattias are young kids from Gracehope, this underworld sealed in ice. Peter is a kid originally from New York City who happens to be visiting Greenland with his parents who are scientists. It's a "mystery" of sorts how these characters will eventually weave together into one solid story. And the mystery is the fun of it all. So I will not give any hints or details about the story.

I also don't know how to classify this book. It's set partly in the "real world" both in New York City and Greenland. But Gracehope doesn't exist. Humans don't have the technology to make it exist. So in that way, it could be in a way science fiction or fantasy. Yet it isn't 'traditional' in either of those categories. There are no aliens. There are no unicorns or dragons. And I suppose you could argue that it might be dystopic in nature, it's not really truly that either. Yes, there are a few minor flaws in the society. But enough to destroy it from within? Not really. Just a few stubborn personalities. So what is it???? I guess I'll just have to classify it as great and be satisfied.

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Lowry, Lois. 2000. Gathering Blue.

Gathering Blue is the second novel in a trilogy by Lois Lowry. This series, beginning with The Giver, loosely ties together several different future societies. The second novel does stand alone apart from The Giver. Kira is a young girl, recently orphaned, whose life is threatened by her village. You see, technically speaking it is illegal for her to still be alive. She was born with a birth defect, a twisted leg. Many demanded her death before she was even a few hours old. But her mother and grandfather were stubborn. She was not to be harmed. She was special. Kira only hoped it was true that she had been saved because she was special. Returning to the village after her mother’s death, a neighbor brings her to court demanding her death. But the court rules in her favor. She will be brought to live in a special building, a building full of secrets because it was from a time before. Given a special task, Kira must learn her new role. But as she’s learning, she observes quite a few disturbing things. Is everything as it seems? Is the ‘Court of Guardians’ keeping some dangerous secrets?

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Lowry, Lois. The Giver.

Today I am reviewing one of my favorite books. This is difficult. You might think it is easier to review a book you love. A book you've read probably three or four times over the years. But, no, sadly it isn't. Jonas is our hero. A twelve-year-old guy who is forced to take a world's load of sorrow onto his young shoulders. When our story opens, Jonas is eleven. He's pondering the upcoming December celebrations. No, not Christmas. Every year the whole community gets together, and everyone turns a whole year older. It doesn't matter if you were born in January or November. That first December, you'll turn one along with every other baby born that year. Age only matters to a certain extent. The most important birthday of your life is your twelfth birthday. For it is then, and only then, that the community leaders will decide your fate. They will announce on that day what each child will do for the rest of his/her life. They might become a nurturer, a doctor, a lawyer, or birth mother. There are many jobs. Some have more status and respect than others, but there is no contesting the will of the community leaders. So obviously, Jonas and his friends might spend the weeks leading up to this celebration feeling a little anxious. As the story continues, the reader catches a glimpse of this seemingly perfect society. Everyone is polite. Everyone gets along. There is no violence or hate. No prejudice. Sameness is glorified. There are other oddities mentioned from time to time as well. For example, the act of "releasing" a member of society whether young or old. Jonas and all the children are aware that this happens. But they know nothing of it. Think nothing of it. After all, what does this releasing business have to do with them. They're not feeble babies anymore. They're not criminals. (Three crimes, and you're "released" permanently.) They're not elderly. But through the course of the next year, after Jonas is given his assignment, a few harsh realities become crystal clear to him. Their society is not as perfect as it seems. The adults are not as honest and loving as they seem. (Although the argument is made that they don't really know any better. This is the way it's always been. This is the way they've always been taught.) When Jonas learns that releasing means murder--murder by injection. Then he doesn't know what to think of anything. He sees his father merrily murder a baby less than a day old and think nothing of it. To dispose of him like he's nothing more than a day old newspaper. This terrifies Jonas. But I suppose I am getting ahead of myself. Jonas's new job is a special one. An elite one. He is to be the new Receiver. He will hold all (and I do mean all) the world's memories. He is the only one who will know of war, sickness, pain, sorrow, and hunger but he's also the only one who will know of happiness, joy, families, and holidays. He's the only one who will know of snow, rain, wind, sun. The only one who will know what it feels like to sail in a boat or ride a sled down a hill. He's got the whole world to experience. But no one to share those experiences with. The Giver is an old man. He transmits these memories to Jonas through touch. He communicates and shares the burden one day at a time. With knowledge though comes responsibility. Only The Giver and Receiver know the truth about how far society has gone. How different things used to be. For better or worse. It is deciding how to use that knowledge that will make the whole world of difference to Jonas. Can he continue living in a society once he knows the awful truth about it? Once he knows the dirty little secrets that no one else knows?

I highly recommend this one to any who haven't read it yet.

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DuPrau. Jeanne. 2006. The Prophet of Yonwood.

Set several hundred years before THE CITY OF EMBER, The Prophet of Yonwood begins with the childhood of Nickie Randolph. A young girl whose father is away working on some secret project for the government. Nickie and her mother have come to Yonwood, North Carolina, to settle the estate of her late great-grandfather. It’s Nickie’s dream for her mother to settle down here and live in this wonderful, old house full of memories and stories. Her mother wants to sell it as quickly as possible. Yonwood is an interesting community as Nickie comes to find out. One of its most fascinatingly eery attractions is Althea Tower, the so-called Prophet of Yonwood. Just a few months before, Althea had been out in her backyard when she had been struck with a vision. Ever since she has been able to communicate effectively. A few phrases or sounds come out now and then...strands from the vision...or so her neighbors think. But is there more to this story?
Strange things are happening all over the world. Nations are on the brink of war. Terrorists--or the threat of terrorists--have brought many to hold radical beliefs. Nickie can’t make sense of any of it. What kind of chance does the world have with such crazy people running about? What can she do to help ‘save the world’?
Her neighbor, Mrs. Brenda Beeson, wants her to be a spy. To report who is being good...and who is being bad. To decide who is being moral enough to continue on in their community, and who needs to be purged from the community to strengthen it and save it from impending doom. But who is she to judge her neighbors? Is this really what ‘God’ has been telling his prophet? Aren’t these new commandments a little strange and strict? And aren’t the punishments for not conforming a bit too harsh?
Her desire to ‘save the world’ or ‘make a useful contribution to society’ won’t happen when she’s twelve...but when she’s sixty. She will be one of the founding community members of the City of Ember. Her legacy as a daughter of one of the Builders.

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DuPrau, Jeanne. 2004. The People of Sparks.
The people of Sparks are about to receive the surprise of their lives when a young boy, Torren, brings word that there people coming. Not just a few people coming--but a LOT of people coming. A little over 400 people. To the post-Disaster community of Sparks, who numbers only 300, it is overwhelming news. How can they turn their backs on fellow human beings--even if they did come up from a hole in the ground? Yet, how can they support an additional 400 mouths to feed? Where will they house them? Where will they feed them? Are they even capable of learning how to take care of themselves? They seemed awfully ignorant. They seemed surprised that the sky was blue. They didn’t know was a tree was. They didn’t know what chickens were. Or eggs. And they were scared of fire. What kind of strange people are they? Will they ever be able to get along with such strange folks?
Lina and Doon’s story continues in THE PEOPLE OF SPARKS. Can these two children work together with the community of Sparks to create a lasting peace? Or is war inevitable?

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DuPrau, Jeanne. 2003. The City of Ember.

When the city of Ember was just built and not yet inhabited, the chief builder and the assistant builder, both of them weary, sat down to speak of the future.
“They must not leave the city for at least two hundred years,” said the chief builder. “Or perhaps two hundred and twenty.”
“Is that long enough?” asked his assistant.
“It should be. We can’t know for sure.”
“And when the time comes,” said the assistant, “how will they know what to do?”
“We’ll provide them with instructions, of course,” the chief builder replied.
“But who will keep the instructions? Who can we trust to keep them safe and secret all that time?”
“The mayor of the city will keep the instructions,” said the chief builder. “We’ll put them in a box with a timed lock, set to open on the proper date.”
“And will we tell the mayor what’s in the box?” the assistant asked.
“No, just that it’s information they won’t need and must not see until the box opens of its own accord.”
“So the first mayor will pass the box to the next mayor, and that one to the next, and so on down through the years, all of them keeping it secret, all that time?”
“What else can we do?” asked the chief builder. “Nothing about this endeavor is certain. There may be no one left in the city by then or no safe place for them to come back to.”
So the first mayor of Ember was given the box, told to guard it carefully, and solemnly sworn to secrecy. When she grew old, and her time as mayor was up, she explained about the box to her successor, who also kept the secret carefully, as did the next mayor. Things went as planned for many years. But the seventh mayor of Ember was less honorable than the ones who’d come before him, and more desperate. He was ill--he had the coughing sickness that was common in the city then--and he thought the box might hold a secret that would save his life. He took it from its hiding place in the basement of the Gathering Hall and brought it home with him, where he attacked it with a hammer. But his strength was failing by then. All he managed to do was dent the lid a little. And before he could return the box to its official hiding place or tell his successor about it, he died. The box ended up at the back of a closet, shoved behind some old bags and bundles. There it sat, unnoticed, year after year, until its time arrived, and the lock quietly clicked open. (1-3)

Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow are two twelve-year-olds who team up to try to save the city of Ember as its decay becomes more evident and its failure more imminent. With supplies running low--many items being absent for generations--and the generator beginning to fail...it’s only a matter of time before the city loses electricity and is plunged into eternal darkness. What will they do then? Can anything be done to save their city? To save their lives? The answer may be closer than they imagine as Lina discovers the fragments of paper that were the instructions. The problem? Her toddler sister discovered the box and its contents first--now the fragments have been chewed and sucked on...can they decipher the message and save the city???

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