Dystopia – it’s what’s hot. There is so much YA dystopian lit out right now that it almost seems unavoidable. I know – I’ve read a lot of it. And I’ve loved much of it, but I’ve been a fan of dystopian lit since I read Brave New World in high school. So now the question when I read another entry into the genre is this: what makes this title different?
Summary: Delirium by Lauren Oliver asks the question: What if love were curable? Would you choose to live without it?
Lena has always lived in fear of it; love killed her mother and made her an orphan. If not for her aunt & uncle taking her in, she and her older sister would have ended up working in a state-run orphanage with no chance of ever making a good pair. Amor deliria nervosa is the most dangerous of diseases and all adults are surgically cured to prevent its spread.
Lena has looked forward to her procedure for years; looked forward to the time when the sadness of the past will fade away and she will lead a comfortable life, paired with an acceptable man to spend the rest of her life with. Living without love means living without pain and sadness, living in a safe, protected world where she can fit in.
With only days left until she will be forever free from fear of the disease, Lena meets Alex. He is different – he makes her feel things she has been warned against feeling. He has infected her with the delirium. Will she reject all she has been taught to keep the happiness she has found with Alex? Will she fall victim to love, the deadliest disease of all?
Although Delirium feels slightly like some of the other dystopian books I've read (the Uglies series was the first that popped into my mind), it is different enough to be intriguing and manages to stay unpredictable in its twists and turns. I was rooting for Lena and Alex, even though I knew their story probably wouldn't end well.
Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Being Yourself
Freedom
Love
Age Appropriateness:
14 and up
Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: mild
Violence: moderate
Monday, May 28, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Populazzi by Elise Allen
Summary: Populazzi by Elise Allen looks at one of the essential questions of teen-dom: If you could start fresh and become someone else – someone popular – would you? The result is a novel that veers from funny to sad and is occasionally cringe-inducing. As a reader who was able to empathize with Cara, the main character, I often found her choices and the situations she created for herself to be painful to read – just like the mistakes of a real teen.
Cara has never been popular – she and her best friend, Claudia, have always rested comfortably near the bottom of the popularity scale. But now, at the beginning of her junior year of high school, Cara’s family moves. Faced with starting at a new school where no one knows her, she follows Claudia’s advice and tries to change her standing. Claudia has created an approach she calls “The Ladder,” and, in order to become popular, Cara must begin the climb up its slippery rungs. Each rung is a relationship and Cara must repeatedly reinvent herself to become the perfect girlfriend for the guy on the next rung up in order to achieve the ultimate goal – become the Supreme Populazzi , the most popular girl in school.
As anyone can tell you, you don’t climb to the top without stepping on a few people on the way. Will Cara’s quest to become the best (liked) cause her to lose all her (true) friends, the trust of her parents, and her shot at her first choice college? Who knew being popular could make you so miserable?
Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Being Yourself
Peer Pressure
Friendship
Age Appropriateness:
14 and up
Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: moderate
Violence: none
Cara has never been popular – she and her best friend, Claudia, have always rested comfortably near the bottom of the popularity scale. But now, at the beginning of her junior year of high school, Cara’s family moves. Faced with starting at a new school where no one knows her, she follows Claudia’s advice and tries to change her standing. Claudia has created an approach she calls “The Ladder,” and, in order to become popular, Cara must begin the climb up its slippery rungs. Each rung is a relationship and Cara must repeatedly reinvent herself to become the perfect girlfriend for the guy on the next rung up in order to achieve the ultimate goal – become the Supreme Populazzi , the most popular girl in school.
As anyone can tell you, you don’t climb to the top without stepping on a few people on the way. Will Cara’s quest to become the best (liked) cause her to lose all her (true) friends, the trust of her parents, and her shot at her first choice college? Who knew being popular could make you so miserable?
Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Being Yourself
Peer Pressure
Friendship
Age Appropriateness:
14 and up
Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: mild
Nudity/Adult Content: moderate
Violence: none
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Radiance & Shimmer by Alyson Noel
Summary: Alyson Noel made waves with her series The Immortals and now has a new series focused on Riley Bloom. The first two books, Radiance and Shimmer are well-written and beautifully paced with a main character who is likable in spite of her flaws, making the entire book relatable and enjoyable.
After an accident kills everyone in her family except for her sister, Ever, Riley Bloom hung around on Earth for a while. But she has finally moved on and crossed the bridge to Here, joining her parents and her dog, Buttercup. Although she still harbors some bitterness about her short life, Riley is anxious to see what the Here (where the time is always Now) holds for her.
When she’s finally given her assignment, she finds that she will be a Soul Catcher, returning to Earth with her mentor, Bodhi, to convince other souls who are clinging to Earth that it is time to cross the bridge into Here and leave their old life behind.
In Radiance, Riley & Bodhi head for an old English castle that has been haunted by a young boy for centuries. He has resisted the efforts of many Soul Catchers to convince him to move on, but Riley is not going to give up easily.
Shimmer follows Riley & Bodhi on a well-earned vacation that turns into a challenge that could trap both Riley & Bodhi, along with the ever-present Buttercup, in the twisted fantasy world of a young girl who was murdered during a slave revolt in the 1700’s. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive those she blames for her death or will Riley end up like the rest of Rebecca’s victims, trapped in her own worst memories for eternity?
I’m looking forward to reading more Riley Bloom books. Despite the main character’s circumstances, the books manage to avoid wallowing in self-pity and instead show a young girl who, despite her untimely end, is continuing to grow and mature in her outlook. Beautiful images and imagery with a beautiful message written in a way that will make the reader root for Riley.
Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Acceptance
Letting Go
Age Appropriateness:
12 and up
Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild
After an accident kills everyone in her family except for her sister, Ever, Riley Bloom hung around on Earth for a while. But she has finally moved on and crossed the bridge to Here, joining her parents and her dog, Buttercup. Although she still harbors some bitterness about her short life, Riley is anxious to see what the Here (where the time is always Now) holds for her.
When she’s finally given her assignment, she finds that she will be a Soul Catcher, returning to Earth with her mentor, Bodhi, to convince other souls who are clinging to Earth that it is time to cross the bridge into Here and leave their old life behind.
In Radiance, Riley & Bodhi head for an old English castle that has been haunted by a young boy for centuries. He has resisted the efforts of many Soul Catchers to convince him to move on, but Riley is not going to give up easily.
Shimmer follows Riley & Bodhi on a well-earned vacation that turns into a challenge that could trap both Riley & Bodhi, along with the ever-present Buttercup, in the twisted fantasy world of a young girl who was murdered during a slave revolt in the 1700’s. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive those she blames for her death or will Riley end up like the rest of Rebecca’s victims, trapped in her own worst memories for eternity?
I’m looking forward to reading more Riley Bloom books. Despite the main character’s circumstances, the books manage to avoid wallowing in self-pity and instead show a young girl who, despite her untimely end, is continuing to grow and mature in her outlook. Beautiful images and imagery with a beautiful message written in a way that will make the reader root for Riley.
Themes:
Coming-of-Age
Acceptance
Letting Go
Age Appropriateness:
12 and up
Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild
School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari
Summary: Four children, each with a crippling phobia:
Garrison is afraid of water. This is made more unfortunate by the fact that he lives in Florida, where everyone goes to the beach or has a pool.
Madeleine is afraid of bugs and spiders. She is constantly surrounded by a cloud of pesticide and stays covered with a layer of mosquito netting.
Lulu is claustrophobic. She won’t even ride in an elevator.
Theodore is afraid of dying – not just of his own death, but of the death of anyone he cares about or even knows. His family has to check in with him regularly to confirm their status as still living.
The four have never met before this summer, but now will be united by the scariest event of their lives; a summer at the School of Fear. It’s an unusual school with unusual methods. Each student will conquer his or her fear in six weeks. And the headmistress of the school, a past-her-prime beauty queen, will use whatever methods are necessary to make sure they all make satisfactory progress.
Throw in a quirky, elderly caretaker, a depressed bulldog, and an attorney with questionable motives and you have a fun, fast-paced book for kids and adults. The humor reminds me of Lemony Snicket; wry and dryly funny with plenty of sarcasm.
School of Fear by Gitty Danashvari is a great read for a dull, rainy day with plot twists that will keep the reader guessing.
Themes:
Courage
Friendship
Age Appropriateness:
10 and up
Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild
Garrison is afraid of water. This is made more unfortunate by the fact that he lives in Florida, where everyone goes to the beach or has a pool.
Madeleine is afraid of bugs and spiders. She is constantly surrounded by a cloud of pesticide and stays covered with a layer of mosquito netting.
Lulu is claustrophobic. She won’t even ride in an elevator.
Theodore is afraid of dying – not just of his own death, but of the death of anyone he cares about or even knows. His family has to check in with him regularly to confirm their status as still living.
The four have never met before this summer, but now will be united by the scariest event of their lives; a summer at the School of Fear. It’s an unusual school with unusual methods. Each student will conquer his or her fear in six weeks. And the headmistress of the school, a past-her-prime beauty queen, will use whatever methods are necessary to make sure they all make satisfactory progress.
Throw in a quirky, elderly caretaker, a depressed bulldog, and an attorney with questionable motives and you have a fun, fast-paced book for kids and adults. The humor reminds me of Lemony Snicket; wry and dryly funny with plenty of sarcasm.
School of Fear by Gitty Danashvari is a great read for a dull, rainy day with plot twists that will keep the reader guessing.
Themes:
Courage
Friendship
Age Appropriateness:
10 and up
Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: mild
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