Crossed

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 367
Language: G
Content: G
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary:  In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky-- taken by the Society to his certain death-- only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.


Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border.  But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander-- who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart-- change the game once again.  Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.  

Review:  I really enjoyed the first novel in this series.  The second was sure to be a win, but now I'm reconsidering how much I enjoy the plot.  I thought that the characters were developed well throughout this novel and the plot seemed to be well developed, but I was left wishing there was an alternative ending.  I hope the third book can save the series for Condie's fans!  I would and do recommend this book for young adults because the content is very appropriate and the characters are lovable.

Cinder

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Pages: 400
Language: G
Content: G
Level: Middle/High School
Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review: Although not a fan of "robots" or "cyborgs" or anything mechanical, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was refreshing to read a book that I didn't worry about language or content. This book puts a real twist on the "Cinderella" we all know and love. This is a great book for boys and girls alike. There are great characters, and villians I love to hate!!! The first in the Lunar Chronicles, I can't wait for the next book.

The Lost Hero

Title: The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Pages: 576

Profanity: G
Mature Content: G
Level:  Middle School
Recommendation:  Good Read

Summary:  Jason has a problem.  He doesn't remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl.  Apparently she's his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they're all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "bad kids."  What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea-- except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret.  Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he's in terrible danger.  Now her boyfriend doesn't recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood.  What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools.  His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them.  Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls.  What's troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper's gone missing.  Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all-- including Leo-- related to a god.

Review:  This book is written very well for the age group (10 and up).  If I wanted to suggest a book to a student or a child, I would not hesitate to recommend this novel.   There is nothing inappropriate in this novel as far as language and sexual content, but the heroes are on a quest and they are required to to fight occasionally.  Rick Riordan does not make it gory or extremely violent, but keeps the readers interest by making this novel action-packed!  I do not think that the characters and plot line were very well developed.  One of the three main characters, Leo, has ADD  and it's apparent.  I feel as if the plot line has ADD as well.  It's just a little too choppy to allow for a fluid reading.

Birthmarked

Title: Birthmarked

Author: Caragh M. O'Brien

Pages: 368

Profanity: G
Mature Content: PG
Level:  Middle/High School
Recommendation:  Must Read

Summary:  In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the wall and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife, Gaia Stone, who live outside.  Gaia has always believed it is her duty, with her mother, to hand over a small quota of babies to the Enclave.  But when Gaia's mother and father are arrested by the very people they so dutifully serve, Gaia is forced to question everything  she has been taught to believe.  Gaia's choice is now simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying.

Review:  This book is another great dystopian novel about a feudal-type of government that require the less fortunate to provide babies to the "nobility" to counteract years of inbreeding.  Midwives serve as the liaisons between the two groups and provide the nobility with a certain quota of babies each year (the content is rated PG because of the description of a midwife's job).  The main character, Gaia, is easy to connect with because of her sincere personality, and you will find yourself rooting for her to succeed.  The novel has a great romance subplot as well.  I am excited to read the second in this trilogy!

Title: The Running Dream

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen

Pages: 332

Language: G

Profanity: None =)

Content: G

Recommendation: Good Read

Summary: Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.

Review: What an inspirational book! So refreshing to read a book that has a great story and great characters who can overcome!!!! I loved the developement of the characters in this book, and the messages taught through the characters. This is a great read . .. and not just for runners!

The Eleventh Plague

Title: The Eleventh Plague
Author: Jeff Hirsch
Pages: 304
Profanity: PG
Mature Content: PG
Level:  Middle/High School
Recommendation:  Good Read

Summary:  In the aftermath of a war, America's landscape has been ravaged and two-thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza.  Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade.  But when Stephen's grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler's Landing, a community that seems too good to be true.  Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are.  And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler's Landing--and their lives--forever.

Review:  This novel is another great dystopian novel set in a not-so-distant future.  I really enjoyed the plot and the "what if" situation of a new type of influenza wiping out most of North America's population.  Most of the readers will find this setting to be a great topic to discuss with each other.  This novel is also a great read for boys because of the action scenes at the end of the story.  I did not connect with the characters because they weren't as well developed as other memorable characters.  The beginning was also a little slow, but stick it out if you like action-packed dystopian novels.

Cross My Heart

Title: Cross My Heart

Author: Katie Klein

Pages: 225

Profanity: PG

Mature Content: PG
Level: Middle/High School

Recommendation: Good Read

Review: Jaden McEntyre and Parker Whalen are a wrong fit from the start. Jaden is driven and focused, Harvard Med School within reach. Parker has a past—a reputation—and the rumors about his mysterious habits abound. So there’s no reason why, when they're assigned to work together on a project in English, they should discover they have anything in common, or even like each other, and they definitely shouldn't be falling in love. As they bond over Edith Wharton’s tragic novella, Ethan Frome, the “bad boy” vibe Parker plays begins to dissipate. Soon, Jaden finds herself shedding her own “good girl” image: sneaking around to be with him, confiding in him, and ultimately falling hard for this leather-wearing, motorcycle-driving loner who plays into the rebel stereotype. Still, Jaden can't shake the feeling that there's more to Parker than he's letting on. He's hiding something from her, and discovering the truth means reconciling the Parker she's grown to love with the person he really is. Because it's possible that his life inside the classroom—everything Jaden knows—is one, massive lie.

Review: Although parts of this book were very un-realistic (mostly near the end), I could connect with the charactes. The storyline does have a twist that is unexpected (see the above statement). This story takes me back to high school because I was able to connect with the main character. I enjoyed the characters as well as the situations they were put in. Just a reminder to me that one should never judge a book by it's cover . . . .in novels or in real life.