Peter Brown took 2 1/2 years to complete this book, making his middle grade debut. It is devilishly difficult to infuse a short simple book with deep resonance, harder still if the genre is science fiction. Perfect for as young as 1st or 2nd grade, the chapters are short and the sentences simple and the story compelling. However, The Wild Robot is also great for anyone, child or adult, who loves nature and fears for it. Pete Brown’s given young readers a gift, trusting them to explore the meaning of family, the adventure of adoption, the uses of technology, and the future of the natural world. A huge bonus: the pictures are terrific! 2nd grade – 5th grade. MM
Archives: Book Reviews
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
The Selection. 2012, The Elite. 2013, The One. 2014
This wonderful YA series is kind of like a cross between The Bachelor and The Hunger Games (with less death and gore). It takes place in a society where citizens are divided in castes, numbered One through Eight, each with its own role to play. Ones are the royalty, Twos are the celebrities and members of the military, Threes are the ‘great minds’—teachers, inventors, doctors and such, Fours are the businessmen, Fives are the performers, Sixes are the workers and the servants at the palace, Sevens are the manual laborers and Eights are the ‘unemployable’– those with mental illnesses, addictions and traitors to the crown. When the heir to the crown reaches marrying age, a competition called The Selection is held. Thirty-five eligible, randomly selected women from across the kingdom are brought in to compete for the prince’s hand.
The story follows America Singer, a Five. America has no real desire to enter The Selection because she is secretly in a relationship with a boy named Aspen, who is a Six. However, her mother bribes her to submit her name and lo and behold, she is picked.
America meets Prince Maxon in a bit of an unorthodox way and they hit it off, not romantically, but as friends, and they strike up a deal: America will be Maxon’s eyes and ears behind the scenes– finding out what the other girls really think of him and advising him on whom he should pick– and America will get to stay in the Selection for as long as possible– because the longer she stays, the more social and financial benefits there are for her family.
Predictably, America starts to have feelings for Maxon… and of course, that’s when Aspen shows up to complicate things, having been hired as a palace guard. America cannot let anyone know that she and Aspen had ever been romantically involved, or that they still have feelings for each other, however, because any girl caught in a relationship with someone other than Maxon is immediately convicted of an act of treason and sentenced to death.
The series isn’t groundbreaking. In fact, you can probably guess the outcome. But it’s a great little read that takes place in a very interesting and thought-provoking world. If you’re looking for something quick and fun to throw in your beach bag this summer, give this series a whirl.
I’m writing below as a separate review from the first three books in the series because these two follow a different main character.
So… ***SPOILER ALERT IF YOU’VE NOT READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS IN THE SERIES***
The Heir. 2015, The Crown. 2016
Princess Eadlyn Schreave is the product of one of the most fairy tale love stories the kingdom has ever known: that of her parents, King Maxon and Queen America. Eadlyn was born just a few moments before her twin brother, and her parents changed the law so that she could become the first female ruler of the kingdom.
Maxon and America have abolished the caste system and not everyone is happy with that decision—most notably, those who used to be of a high caste. Some people even believe that there should not be a monarchy anymore in order to make every citizen truly equal to the next. There is unrest in the kingdom and as a distraction, her parents convince Eadlyn to have her own Selection. Eadlyn is opposed to the idea, believing that she does not need a husband’s help to rule the kingdom. However, she does want to help her parents, and although Eadlyn does not believe that she will find anyone she wants to spend the rest of her life with, she accepts—if the Selection is conducted on her own terms.
The series was originally plotted as being only three books, but at the end of the trilogy—when the success of the series was far beyond what anyone had ever imagined it would be—a fourth book was announced. Many were skeptical—it felt like a bit of a grab for money on the author’s part, a way to milk the success she’d found for all it was worth.
And after reading the first book… I kind of agreed. It was great being immersed in that world again, but it felt forced. Eadlyn was not exactly a likable character and I didn’t really care whether or not she found her happiness. The Selected boys were not as unique or fleshed out as the girls had been in the original Selection. And I wasn’t vying for any one of them to end up with a spoiled, snotty young woman for the rest of their lives.
And after reading the second book, I had some very mixed feelings about Eadlyn’s story. Of course, she does fall in love with someone, and she’s much more likable this time around. But, I almost felt like everything happened much too quickly—like it deserved to be broken into three volumes instead of just two. The love story came out of nowhere and progressed at such a rapid pace that it wasn’t even remotely believable. Eadlyn makes another tremendous, life-altering decision in the blink of an eye and again, I just didn’t buy it.
I loved the first three books and I highly recommend them. These last two, I could really take or leave. If you read the first three and stop there, you really won’t be missing much.
Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
Wolf by Wolf introduces us to a world where World War II was not won by the allies, but by Hitler and the axis powers instead. Yael, has survived countless experiments on her body by Nazi doctors leaving her looking nothing like herself, but with the ability to transform her features to look like anyone else. Yael’s ability has made her a key part in the resistance against Hitler and now she finds herself with the ultimate mission beginning with a motorcycle race across Europe and ending in Japan. Disguised as last year’s victor, Adele Wolfe, Yael must not only survive this cut throat race, but win again, something no victor has succeeded at.
See No Color by Shannon Gibney
Alex was so sure of her life. She did great in school, loved her adopted family and excelled at baseball. When younger sister begins to question how Alex feels about being mixed when her family is white and then hands her a file her parents have been hiding everything begin to change. From the file Alex finds not only her adoption information, but letters from her adoptive father. Alex begins to question everything, where she really fits in – her white family pretending they don’t see the color of her skin isn’t right, but the black kids at school think she’s too white. Alex doesn’t know who to turn to, or who can really understand what she’s going through. See No Color, sheds light on the transracial adoption experience and is a thought provoking read.
Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski
The days are getting shorter and shorter until there is no daytime at all only night. This night won’t last a day or two it will last 14 years. Marin, Kana and Line all live on an island where this 14 years of darkness is a reality. Everyone must pack up their things and board ships before night comes because along with night comes terrible things. When Line doesn’t make it to the boats on time, Marin and Kana cannot abandon him so they go to find him. Finally, they track him down and bring him back to the beach, but all the boats are gone and night is arriving. Marin, Kana and Line are on their own and the terrors of Nightfall are on to their scent.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Driven by strong characters caught in a horrible situation, this story pulled me along as if I were on an unstoppable train. “Challenging” teens, thirteen through seventeen, can be unwound if their parents sign the papers or if they are wards of the state or if their religion deems them to be tithes. To be unwound is to be vivisected bit by bit so that all their parts-brain lobes, feet, hearts, teeth-can be transplanted into someone in need. The absolutely horrifying description of the unwinding of a hateful young man is an image I hope to one day forget but also couldn’t stop reading. Many, but not all, adults have become numb to what unwinding really means so there is some hope offered. Two sequels exist though if you like ambiguous endings, this is definitely a stand-alone.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Imagine a family, Mayflower descendants, perfect, blond, and rich enough to own a private island off Martha’s Vineyard. Like Shakespeare’s Lear, the patriarch of the family pits his three daughters against each other for the inheritance. They in turn enlist their older children, four cousins (The Liars) who have spent every summer together on the island, to curry favor with their grandfather. Something terrible happened during the Liars’ fifteenth summer and Cadence, the oldest grandchild, cannot remember what it was and why she now suffers debilitating migraines. No one will tell her, doctor’s orders, what it was. She must discover it on her own. The revelation is shocking; I never saw it coming.This is a quick read and you will want to race to the end.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
I wouldn’t consider myself a science fiction/fantasy fan, per-say, although I have recently been drawn to a lot of the teen dystopian fiction that has become popular after the success of the Hunger Games books. The Lunar Chronicles is a fantastic series with wonderfully written characters and a richly developed futuristic world. And even though it is geared towards teens, the story is one that can be enjoyed by adult fantasy fans as well. Each of the four books is a loose take on a classic fairy tale: Cinder (Cinderella), Scarlet (Little Red Riding Hood), Cress (Rapunzel) and Winter (Snow White).
In the world of The Lunar Chronicles, androids and cyborgs are second class citizens who co-exist with humanity. The story begins with Cinder, a cyborg, part human and part machine. She is looked down upon by the people in her home of New Beijing, and especially looked down upon by her cruel stepmother. Cinder is a gifted mechanic and works in a booth the local marketplace. It is there that she meets the handsome Prince Kai, who asks her for help in fixing his personal android. Cinder finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kai, even though she knows that a romance between them would be forbidden.
Kai is caught up in a diplomatic nightmare: Queen Levana of Luna (the moon) wants to forge an allegiance with earth. Most of the Lunar people have a strange and potentially dangerous gift: they can manipulate the minds of the Earthens and of each other. Not only can the Lunar citizens disguise themselves to be seen however they wish to be seen, but they can force others to do whatever they want them to do. Queen Levana wants to marry Prince Kai and to become empress of New Beijing and will do whatever it takes to make this marriage happen.
There is a plague that has been ravaging the Earth and the cyborgs are being drafted to be used as test subjects in the search for an antidote. When Cinder is subjected to the plague testing, it is discovered that she may be something more than anyone thinks and her origins are brought into question. This sets her on a journey to discover the truth about her true identity.
Over the course of the four book series, Cinder teams up with Scarlet (a pilot who is searching for her missing grandmother), Wolf (a Lunar soldier), Carswell Thorne (a wanted criminal), Cress (an ungifted Lunar who cannot manipulate others and cannot be manipulated) and Winter (Levana’s beautiful stepdaughter, who has begun to go crazy because she refuses to use her Lunar gift). Together, they search for the lost Lunar princess, Selene, in the hopes of enlisting her help to overthrow Levana once and for all.
I found it hard to get into Cinder initially, but by halfway in, I was hooked. This series is a must read for anyone looking for a little ‘sci-fi lite’, a toe in the water, if you will, before taking a headlong leap into the science fiction/fantasy genre.
And if you enjoy the series, be sure to check out Fairest, Levana’s story from her own point of view, and Stars Above, a collection of short stories featuring the Lunar Chronicles cast.
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
“Why are there so many dystopian and apocalyptic novels for young adults right now?” you may ask. I think it’s because the news is repeatedly giving us the unnerving and terrifying message that the adults in charge are destroying the world. Therefore, in order to be able to look forward to a future, teens need to feel that they can survive and perhaps make a difference. Global warming melting the ice caps so that all the coastal areas are flooded? Become a ship breaker, pulling apart and selling for salvage all the ocean going vessels that have wrecked on the drowned spires and penthouses of old cities.
Invent a new religion or two since the old ones no longer offer comfort. Find a new form of family since the former is broken. It’s all terribly dangerous and life threatening (and exciting for the reader) but you’ve got to try to endure in this awful world.