Beatrice Prior lives with her family in (dystopian) Chicago where people are grouped into factions based on personal beliefs and values. Her and her family are Abnegation in which people consider selflessness and moderation the most important qualities for a successful society. The other factions are Candor (Truth and Honesty), Amity (Friendship, Peace, Harmony), Erudite (Scholars, Knowledge), and Dauntless (Fearless, Bravery). Those who doesn’t belong to a faction are considered factionless and live a very difficult life. They are the ones who do the jobs no one else wants to do and often struggle for food and shelter.

Beatrice is at the age where she is going to have to choose what faction she will align herself with for the rest of her life.  Even though she was born into Abnegation, she doesn’t have to stay there.  In order to help the young people choose, they are given an Aptitude Test, a virtual simulation that takes them through several scenarios to show their true nature.  Beatrice’s test wasn’t very helpful. Instead of revealing one clear faction to join, it only rules out two – leaving her three factions to choose from.  She is Divergent and is warned to keep her results a secret. Being Divergent is dangerous. 

Beatrice must decide between Abnegation, Dauntless, or Erudite. Can she leave her family and join another faction, never to see them again? What is so dangerous about being Divergent? She has never felt like she belonged in Abnegation and has always secretly envied the Dauntless. Needless to say, the night before the choosing ceremony is a stressful one.

Beatrice takes the name of Tris when she plunges into Dauntless initiate training. A new life deserves a new name. Struggling with feelings of guilt for leaving her parents, Tris throws herself into training and experiences things she never thought possible. Getting to know people from the other factions provides some challenges, but the physical and mental trials are even more trying. Life becomes a little more complicated when she begins to have feelings for one of her trainers, Four. Tris comes alive in the Dauntless faction, in more ways than one.

Tris’ world is turned upside down when she learns of a possible conspiracy involving two of the factions. Will she be able to uncover the truth and keep the fact that she is Divergent a secret at the same time? Will she have to do it alone or will Four be able to help?

DIVERGENT is a thrill ride.  There isn’t a moment when the story doesn’t hold tight to the reader. The mixture of drama, mystery, suspense, and romance is perfect. I can’t wait for the sequel, INSURGENT, due out May 2012.

Visit the Facebook page to take the faction quiz.  Where would you belong? 

The year is 2083 and chocolate and coffee are illegal. The Balanchine family is one of the five leading chocolate families and produces some of the best quality chocolate in the world.  Chocolate and coffee are two of the most sought after items on the black market and where the black market runs rampant – organized crime is usually present as well. The Balanchines control the OC in this future New York City.

Anya Balanchine is the daughter of the city’s most notorious crime boss. Since his death, when she was 9-years-old, Anya has had more responsibility than she should have. She has to assist in the care of her dying grandmother, her little sister, and her mentally challenged older brother. Her main goal is to keep what is left of her family safe and the only way she can think to do that is to keep clear of the family business.

This becomes the most difficult thing ever when her ex-boyfriend is poisoned by some Balanchine chocolate that she gave him from her family’s secret stash. In addition to the stress from the unwanted publicity from the tainted chocolate, Anya also has to deal with her growing feelings for the son of the new assistant district attorney – a difficult relationship since their families are on the separate sides of the law. Anya has a lot on her plate and it is hard for her to always do the right thing – especially if she is trying to be a “good Catholic girl.”

ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE is a fascinating look at an alternate reality.  What if chocolate and coffee were illegal and alcohol were available to all ages? What if paper were in such short supply that “real” books are very rare and you can’t have any unless you have a permit. Water is in such short supply that taking a shower of more than a few seconds is almost too expensive and, really strange, cells phone with cameras are illegal.

I listened to ALL THESE THINGS I’VE DONE on audio and thought it was a wonderful option for this book. The narrator does an excellent job portraying the different characters and accents needed for the story. The only problem in the audio was the fact that the narrator pronounced the assistant district attorney’s last name (Delacroix) one way through the first half of the book and then changed her pronunciation the second part of the book.  It isn’t a big deal, but it did distract me sometimes.

MacMillan audio will be giving away a copy of the audio to one of my blog readers.  Be looking for the Giveaway post tomorrow.

I am at the end of my rope. Life is only getting worse everyday.  Even in our supposed “safe” communities we are forced to live surrounded by high fences, afraid they will fail at any time.

 The Can Heads are taking over more and more territory in the city. Policeman don’t even feel safe on the streets.  My next door neighbor, Jack Murphy is a policeman with the NYPD and recently lost his partner in a terrible attack.  Jack has to take time off of work just to get his head straight again.  

The other day, Jack’s wife came over to let our little boys play and she told me about a place where she and her family are going for a week or so.  It is called Paterville Family Camp. It sounds too good to be true.  Apparently, families can swim in the lake, take boats out on the water, and get this – enjoy REAL food.  They have gardens or something that allow them to provide for the campers. Just the thought of eating a real meal is enough to make me want to pack up the car and go.  She left behind a brochure.

As soon as she left I went to the computer to pull up their website. It looks amazing.  They have fireworks, bonfires, and movie nights. But, is it really safe? 

I’m going to have to talk to my husband about this. Maybe we’ll go with the Murphys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Murphy is a policeman in New York and has seen the world quickly deteriorate to where there are very few “safe” places left.  The areas that are safe are surrounded by tall fences meant to keep out the Can Heads.

During a particularly bad night at a Can Head siting, Jack watches as his partner walks into a trap and gets eaten alive. Jack himself suffered terrible injuries forcing him to take time off the job and endure many painful weeks of exercise and physical therapy.

After being told by his superiors that he won’t be allowed back to work until he takes some vacation time, he reluctantly agrees to go away with his wife and kids to Paterville Family Camp – a fortress-like compound in the mountains, where families can relax and do things people used to do on vacations like hike, swim, and take boats out on the water.

Everything is great at Paterville.  The kids get in the water everyday, his wife lays on the beach in the sun, and they even meet a nice couple they chit chat with at dinner every night. Another perk to being at Paterville is the food.  There is plenty of it and it isn’t the synthetic food they are used to at home.  At first Jack finds it hard to relax – always on alert for danger, but he eventually sees how much his family is enjoying their time at the Camp and decides to give relaxation a try.

The picture perfect vacation is ruined when Can Heads breach the Camp’s extensive security. With Jack’s help, the guards are able to fight off the attack and put things back in order.  Life is back to normal the next morning with people having fun in the lake like always. Jack never lets his guard down again though and he starts to see strange things that alert his policeman senses to possible sinister goings on at the Camp.

Jack decides he and his family need to leave – no matter what!

VACATION is a fast-paced story that hooks the reader on page one and doesn’t let go until the end.  I label it as a YA Crossover book because while there is quiet a bit of blood and gore and some language, it isn’t anything that older teens can’t handle. This is perfect for your older horror fans.

 

 

Every day Tom trains Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong. He prepares them to fight the Zoms they are sure to encounter on their long trek across the dangerous country. Everyone has different feeling about leaving home. Benny isn’t sure he wants to leave FOREVER, but is willing to in order to be with Nix. Nix, who has nothing left is desperate to leave behind all the bad memories. Lilah just wants to feel freedom and live outside the fences again. Tom decides he has to leave since his countless pleas to the town leader’s to build up defenses have fallen on deaf ears. Chong, without the permission of his parents, is staying behind.

Tom plans an overnight trip to help the kids practice living beyond the fences. Chong is given permission to accompany his friends for this short adventure which gives him more time to spend with Lilah.

The overnight outing doesn’t go as planned and the kids are separated from each other and Tom. Evidence points to the possibility that Gameland is up and running again and even worse, could Charlie Pink Eye still be alive?

DUST & DECAY is filled with danger and excitement, love and hatred. It keeps the reader engaged from the first page. The horrors the characters live through is heartbreaking. This is a zombie book that will bring you to tears.

Before Nick Gautier was a Squire for Kyrian Hunter and way before he ran into trouble with Ash, he was a ninth grader on a scholarship at prestigious private school.  He is willing to put up with the constant harassment from his classmates because of the ridiculous clothes his mother buys for him and the fact that they don’t have two nickels to rub together, but he draws the line at cracks at his mother.  Nick is willing to do anything for his mother.  The fact that she is willing to dance at an exotic club every night just so they can have a roof over their heads and food on their table drives him to try to be a good person – even though it takes everything he has to maintain his control.

Nick is special. The amount of power he is capable of is unknown – especially to him. It isn’t until he meets Kyrian Hunter that he is even aware of a world other than the one he knows.

New Orleans is full mysterious people and traditions, but zombies are new for Nick.  Students at his high school have started attacking and attempting to eat one another. It started with only one, but quickly spread across town. It is up to Nick and a group of friends (some new and some old) to find out how it started and make New Orleans safe once again.

INFINITY is an entertaining read, but not what I would call quality literature. There was one thing in particular about Kenyon’s writing style that got on my nerves with this book that I didn’t notice so much in the Dark Hunter novels. I may have noticed it more because I listened to INFINITY on audio book, but it seemed like Nick talked to himself too much – asked himself internal questions all the time.

Kenyon introduced a couple of the important characters from the Dark Hunter series like Kyrian, Ash, Simi, Tabitha, and a couple of the Peltiers from Sanctuary. They didn’t play a major role, but Kenyon definitely set it up for people who aren’t familiar with her Dark Hunter/Were Hunter/Dream Hunter series.

Something I thought was really funny was Kenyon created a character named Bubba, a self proclaimed zombie hunter, who closely resembled Tallahassee from the movie Zombieland.  Kenyon even incorporated Columbus’ #2 rule (reworded a little of course) – Double Tap.  All in all INFINITY was fun and I will read the next one in the series. I do wonder why Kenyon chose to write for young adults though.  There are about a million books out in the adult series that I can’t imagine she needs any more money.

What about everyone else? Have you read this one? If so, have you read any of Kenyon’s adult novels? How do you think this one compares?

Be on the look out for INVINCIBLE: Book 2 on February 1st, 2011.

Set in a future dealing with the ramifications of global warming, Nailer and the others living in his Gulf Coast community fight for survival working for salvage companies pulling copper wire from grounded oil tankers.  If you don’t work, you don’t eat and for Nailer the responsibility for his safety rests on his own shoulders. His drug-addicted, abusive father makes coming home more dangerous than crawling through the dark, metal corridors of the ships where he works.

After a devastating hurricane almost washes away the entire community, Nailer discovers something amazing – a wrecked clipper ship. Not only is it filled with more treasure than he has ever seen in his life, but if Nailer can keep it a secret he’ll be the wealthiest person in his community.  Things become more complicated when Nailer discovers a survivor on the ship. A young and beautiful girl is trapped underneath the bed in her sleeping quarters with water rising quickly. Nailer must make a big decision – does he kill her and ensure the treasure for himself or help her and hope there is some kind of reward for saving her life? Being the nice guy that he is, Nailer chooses to save her, but after his father and his dangerous friends discover the wreckage, Nailer has to save her from more than just rising water.

In an attempt to save Lucky Girl, his nickname for the shipwrecked girl, Nailer goes on an adventure like he never knew was possible. Nailer is an extremely likable character. He maintains a softness even though his life is hard and the hopeful ending makes up for the dark and bleak story.

It was amazing. I couldn’t put it down. Giving it the Stay Awake Award was a no-brainer.

Benny just turned fifteen. In his world that means he must find a job in order to continue receiving his rations. The problem is, Benny can’t find a job he likes.  He and his best friend, Chong, waited too long to get one and all the easy jobs are gone. What’s left aren’t very appealing. He’s tried being a locksmith, a fence tester, a fence technician, a carpet coat salesman, a pit thrower, a crank generator repairman, a spotter, a bottler, and an erosion artist. It seems like the only option left is to join the family business.

Benny’s brother, Tom, is one of the most respected and successful zombie killers.  The problem is, Benny doesn’t know why people think Tom’s that great. He’s never seen Tom do anything especially exciting or impressive – in fact, he’s actually turned away from violence, which makes Benny think Tom’s a coward. Tom is nothing like the totally cool Zombie Killers like Charlie Pink-Eye and Motor City Hammer. Benny has never intended to do what Tom does. He’s always said no every time Tom asked him to become his apprentice. But, his lack of success in any other job has left him no choice.

Benny learns a lot while out in the Rot & Ruin with Tom.  He learns about his own past, what it is that Tom really does, and what separates man from monster. Benny’s outlook on life completely changes as he begins to realize there might be more to life than just his small town of Mountainside.

ROT & RUIN is a perfect choice for readers who enjoyed THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH. Both books take place in a small town of survivors surrounded by fences that keep the zombies out. ROT & RUIN is set in a time when people still remember what happened when the zombies started rising, so the reader gets some first-hand accounts of First Night (the night the world changed). ROT & RUIN also gives us some of the blood and gore that we sometimes want in a zombie novel.

Jonathan Maberry did an excellent job developing the characters and creating an interesting setting. The reader can get lost in Benny’s world. ROT & RUIN gets the Stay Awake Award because I couldn’t put it down. In fact, I stayed up to 3:30 A.M. one night to finish. This story caused me to cringe, gasp, chuckle, and cry. Absolutely amazing!

Delacorte Books for Young Readers – March 9, 2010

FYI – This book is a companion to THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, NOT a sequel.

Gabry has lived with her mother in the lighthouse for years. She is content with her friends, her quiet world, and dreaming of life in the Dark City where people enjoy more comforts than she is used to.

Gabry’s friends are more adventurous than she is. They like to sneak out of town and explore the unsafe areas where Mudo roam. They particularly enjoy going to the abandoned and dangerous amusement park on the other side of the fence. Gabry doesn’t want to go where the Mudo wander – she wants to stay safe, but Catcher is going and she wants to be with him. The thought of spending time with Catcher alone and in the dark overpower her thoughts of safety.

Gabry’s trip to the amusement part quickly turns into a disaster. She is forced to grow up fast with very little information. The little she learns from her mother sends her on the biggest adventure of her life. One she never even considered a possibility. The only thing that keeps her going is the desire to learn the truth about her family and save the people she loves.

My first reaction when I started reading THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES was disappointment. I wanted more about Mary. Also, there were several times when Gabry got on my nerves. But, after thinking about the book for a while, I have come to the conclusion that continuing to story of the people surviving life among the Unconsecrated/Mudo several years after THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH was okay. How much more could we have seen Mary do?  She’d already survived the trip through the forest and found the ocean. What could she do more exciting than that?  Plus, Gabry provides a whole new perspective of life after the Return. I can’t wait to read the third novel in this wonderful series. Keep up the good work, Carrie Ryan.

This is another example of book covers that have changed. The first cover I saw posted on Goodreads for THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES was this one:

So, what do you think?  Which one do you like better?  I like the first one. I think it matches the cover of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and once you read it you will see that the cover model resembles Gabry much better than the girl in the ocean. The current cover makes it seem like the person on the front is one of the Unconsecrated/Mudo washing up on shore. Hmmmm.

Tor Books – September 29, 2009

While most of the United States is suffering from the ravages of the Civil War, Seattle, Washington is dealing with something even deadlier – zombies (a.k.a Rotters).

Sixteen years have passed since the terrible event occurred, destroying Seattle, Washington. Sixteen years since Dr. Blue unleashed his amazing Boneshaker underneath the city. Still, to this day, people don’t know if it was an accident or intentional, but the results are all the same. The Boneshaker, intended to dig through the ice of the Alaskan tundra for gold, instead, tore through the rock underneath Seattle itself – caving in much of the city and releasing a mysterious, slow-moving gas at the same time. The gas, eventually named blight, infected those who were unfortunate enough to take it into their lungs. The city attempted to stop the gas from spreading by constructing an enormous wall around the main devastation and eventually were able to stop it. Now most people live right outside the wall in what is called the Outskirts – including Dr. Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes, and the son he never even knew he had.

Briar and Zeke eke out a living in the Outskirts. Life isn’t easy since they always carry around the stigma of being related to the man who caused all the city’s problems. Zeke is determined to know more about what when on inside the city during the disaster, but Briar is reluctant to tell him everything about it. As his frustration grows, he beings to make plans to sneak under the wall and into the city to find out what he wants to know for himself.

When Briar realizes Zeke has gone into the most dangerous place possible, she immediately gathers supplies and goes to find him. Both come into contact with strange and dangerous characters – not to mention the Rotters.

Readers will be exposed to zombies, pirates, amazing contraptions, and the complicated systems necessary for survival inside the wall. Honestly, it is mind boggling. The imagination required to write such a book is amazing!

HarperCollins – February 1st, 2010

Reese is 13 and in lockdown at a place called Progress Center. In the grand scheme of things, Reese is a good guy. He landed in juvie jail because of one bad decision. Stealing a doctor’s prescription pads and selling them to the local drug dealer seemed like an easy way to get some fast cash, but when the drug dealer is collared, he gives up Reese’s name and before he knows it, he’s serving 2 1/2 years at the Progress Center.

Reese’s behavior earns him a spot in a new work-release program. For 10 days a month he will be spending time at a local nursing home helping out wherever he can. Nervous at first, he quickly begins to look forward to the time he gets to leave jail – even though they have him working with a tough old man with racist tendencies.

The only problem is, in order to remain in the work-release program, Reese must maintain his good behavior and it isn’t as easy as just staying out of everybody’s way. Will he be able to do his time and get out when he is supposed to or will he end up like a lot of the other boys at Progress Center and end up going to prison?

LOCKDOWN lacks the intensity of Walter Dean Myers’ MONSTER, but was enjoyable and will appeal to young adult readers.