Rootless

What would the world be like if there were no more trees? Or books? Or a way to grow food? What if the locust that used to eat the crops had no where to turn except for humans? What if one company had the power to make all the food we were able to consume? What if that food was a super food like popcorn? You would find yourself in the world of Rootless  by Chris Howard. Banyan is a tree builder. He makes trees from scrap metal for people willing to pay. His father has disappeared- taken by what he assumes is Pirates to be sold. Banyan meets up with a family, Zee, Sal, Hina and Frost and their watcher Crow. When Zee gives him a picture of his father chained to actual trees, Banyan is thrust into a wild mission to try and find him. Nothing goes as planned and Banyan finds himself captured by Pirates, led by the fascinating Alpha- a Pirate girl who catches his eye. Banyan finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his new friends. When he discovers what GenTech (the food company) is really up to- he realizes the evil things people will do to survive. Banyan must gather his forces to try and save not only his father, but the thousands of people GenTech has taken. This was a really thought provoking book. I mean, what would life really be like with no trees? I take it for granted that when I look out the window, I will see trees blowing in the breeze. Banyan is a great character who comes into his own in his search for his father, and finds a little love story on the way. Crow is another great character who turns out to be more than he seems. I look forward to the continuation of this series and will make sure before it comes out, I plant a few more trees in my yard. Happy reading my friends!

Maggot Moon

This short, fast-paced novel begs the question, what is worth risking your life for? Standish Treadwell is different in a world where different can get you sent away. He can't read, he has two different color eyes and he lives in Zone Seven, where all the worst offenders are sent. The government- The Motherland- is a totalitarian state where you must do as they say or disappear. Like his parents. When the Lush family moves in next door, Standish finally finds a friend in Hector. Together, they have a plan to leave the planet in their paper mache rocket. In the meantime, the Motherland claims to be able to put a man on the moon. Only one problem, one of the astronauts turns up on Standish's doorstep with a horrifying secret. One that would keep the Motherland in power over the world. Standish can't stand the thought of this hoax and decides he must tell the world the truth. When the Lush's are taken, Standish must convince his grandfather that his plan is worth the risk. Because even if Standish can't read, he is far from stupid. This is a heartbreaking little novel with a strong message. Even the most insignificant of people can make a world of difference. This isn't for everyone. but is an interesting concept that makes you question what you would do in this situation. Would you risk your life to save the world? Happy reading my friends!

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets

James Whitman likes to start his day with a giant YAWP ala Walt Whitman. Partly to piss off his dad and partly to convince himself that he is okay. His sister has been kicked out of the house and he is guilt ridden knowing he did nothing to help her. He is depressed, lonely and living in an abusive household. He talks to a made up counselor named Dr. Bird who is a pigeon he has created in his mind. He somehow keeps screwing up his only friend, Derek's, life and has fallen for a girl with a boyfriend. He spends each day trying not to commit suicide and writing poetry to impress Beth. He finds himself on a quest to get his sister back into the high school she was expelled from so his parents will let her come home. Little does he know that her problems are far greater than graduating from high school. James is a unique individual who hugs trees to make himself feel better. He gets a job so he can make enough money to pay an actual therapist. This is a book about a young man trying to figure out how to cope with all life has dealt him. He is such a likeable character who is going through what most people go through at some point in their lives. Trying to discover who he is and then being okay with it. There are many good messages in this book and it is filled with Walt Whitman poetry to boot. I enjoyed this quick read- no supernatural elements unless you count the imaginary Dr. Bird- who's advice is right on the money most of the time. Happy reading my friends!

Icons

Margaret Stohl is one of the pair who brought us the Beautiful Creatures series. Her solo effort is called Icons. This is the story of Dol and Ro. Two teenagers who have certain gifts. Dol can sense what people are feeling and Ro is rage and anger personified. They calm each other. They are growing up on a Mission with no parents after The Day. The Day is when billions of people were wiped off the earth by the Icons, who have landed and have the power to kill humans. No one has seen one of the aliens and no one can get close enough to find out how to get rid of them. Anyone who crosses into territory near one of the 13 Icons on the planet, instantly dies. One day soldiers arrive and take Dol, killing those she leaves behind. Ro goes after her and they meet Lucas as they try and escape. Lucas, the Ambassador's son, has a secret though. He is one of them, he has the power to change people's emotions. He introduces them to Tima and together, the four teenagers realize they may be a solution to the problem of the Icons. Each has a unique power that combined may be able to save the world. But will they be able to trust each other enough to get the job done? Jealousy, fear and loss play on each of the main characters as they navigate this new territory with the help of the Rebellion's leader, Fortis. Dol must decide if her feelings for Lucas are real and if she is willing to risk her lifelong friendship with Ro to explore them. And can Lucas really be trusted? He is the son of the Ambassador- who may or may not be working with the Icons. The four kids are the key to the future, but will they be able to work together to unlock it? Only a sequel will tell! Happy reading my friends!

Dead Beautiful

I found myself at work the other day getting ready to silent read with the kids and lo and behold, the book I was reading was not in my bag. Luckily, I work in a room full of books so I wandered over to the bookshelves and picked up Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon, thinking I would just read it for the day. Well, that didn't go according to plan. I quickly got sucked into the world of Gottfried Academy, a school for... shall we say, the Undead. Renee has just lost her parents and is sent to the school by her grandfather. There, in quite the Twilight fashion, she meets Dante, the mysterious, beautiful, cold boy. He finds himself feeling alive for the first time in ages and Renee is confused about many things about him. Why is he so cold, how does he heal so fast, why doesn't he eat and why won't he kiss her? As Renee is pulled into one mystery after another, she comes to realize what Dante truly is and why they are drawn together. All is not as it seems at the school and they must figure out a way to try and save each other. One problem though, it is really impossible for them to be together. This book was hard to put down. It had a different premise, but is a pretty typical YA storyline. Girl meets boy, girl falls in love, the couple is torn apart by impossible circumstances, etc. However, it was well worth the time. I will look forward to reading the sequel, as this one leaves off on a major cliffhanger. Summer vacation begins in 5 days and the books are stacked and ready to go read on the beach. Happy Memorial Day weekend my friends and happy reading!

The 5th Wave

Okay my friends- believe the hype. This is a page turner of epic proportions. I have been reading about this book and how it is the next big thing- already sold it's movie rights yadda yadda yadda. Well color me a believer. The aliens have arrived- and they are not the movie kind with big eyes and long fingers. They look just like us- and they don't want to be friends. They want us gone. The end. As wave after wave of destruction is launched, you really don't know who to trust. Cassie and her brother Sam are left alone when their parents are dispatched by various alien means. Sam is taken away to a 'camp' where he will be taught to be a soldier of the resistance. (He's only 5). Cassie must find a way to get to him, but she is being stalked by a Silencer who is determined to 'silence' her. As she is left dying in the snow, someone decides to save her- the dreamy Evan Walker. But who, or what is Evan and why is he so determined to help Cassie? Meanwhile, Sam is put in Ben Parish's group. Ben just happens to be Cassie's long time crush. Ben feels responsible for keeping Sam alive, the very task he failed with his own sister. When Ben and Cassie each figure out what is really going on and the purpose of the 5th Waves, they are on a crash course with an alien showdown- where the aliens have a 6000 year head start on us. I picked this almost 500 page book up yesterday, and here I am, longing for a sequel. Whew. What a ride. It is told in alternating points of view, giving insight to all sides of the fight (except the aliens- what fun would that be?) It has a little romance, a lot of shooting, definite intrigue and a sense of both hopelessness and hopefulness if that is even possible. Love, love, loved this book.  I hope you will too! Happy reading my friends and beware of aliens bearing....

Between Shades of Gray

A few weeks ago I read Ruta Sepetys's second book Out of the Easy and absolutely loved it. So I told everyone how much. Then my book club picked her first book as its next read. I will start by saying how much I don't like to read sad books, or books about the Holocaust. I get even more annoyed when I realize how little I knew about this atrocity- the extermination of Lithuanians by the Russians during World War Two. This is the story of fifteen year old artist, Lina. She and her mother and brother are rounded up  and sent to Siberia because her father worked at the university. Her family is forced to survive horrific conditions to barely survive. Lina is determined to reunite with her father and tries to do it through her art, because he would know her paintings anywhere. The book describes what lengths a person will go to survive and the consequences if a person decides to give up. It shows how you can make a family of perfect strangers if the need arises. It gives hope that love can bloom even  under the worst of circumstances. I am constantly amazed by the brutality of war and the cheap price it puts on civilian lives. And now I wonder why this isn't as talked about as much as the Holocaust. As I get ready to read Anne Frank with my 8th graders, this is a book I will recommend to my students. It is heartbreaking and at the same time uplifting. Sepetys has a way of making her characters come alive and will be a force in YA literature for a long time to come. Between Shades of Gray is a beautifully written story that brings to light something that has too long stayed in the dark. Happy reading my friends!

Unravel Me

As a teacher, I have to say a nerdy thing first... Tahereh Mafi is a master of personification! "I don't know why my heart is losing it's mind." Wow. Anyway, this sequel to Shatter Me, one of the great books of last year, did not disappoint. It follows Juliette and Adam at Omega Point, where they have met up with other people like them. You see, Juliette conducts electricity and to touch her is death. The leader of Omega Point, Castle, is trying to get her to control her powers so she can be a valuable weapon against Warner and Anderson and the evil Reestablishment. As she and Adam grow closer, she is devastated to learn that even though he can touch her, it is slowly destroying him. The only thing she can do is stay away, which is just about killing both of them. On the love triangle end of things, Warner makes a reappearance and much to Juliette's surprise, he isn't quite the monster she thought he was and uh oh, is it possible she may have feelings for him? Well, as any loyal YA reader knows, the answer to that is yes and yes. When the "freaks" of Omega Point go out into battle, Juliette is captured and brought to Anderson, (Warner's father) who is recovering from being shot in the legs- by, you guessed it, Juliette. In taking revenge on his son, he does something not so nice and Warner must decide who side he is on. And scene. This book is really interestingly crafted and a joy to read. I definitely felt the heart strings tug on several occasions and feel the tension of the love triangle. Ah, YA love. Start with book one and join Juliette's crazy journey. You won't be sorry. Happy reading my friends! 16 days to vacation- but who's counting!!

Dark Triumph

I must admit, I was so disappointed when I started this book and it wasn't a continuation of Ismae's story. I wanted to know how she and Duval were getting along. Instead, it followed Sybella, the other handmaiden of Death on her quest to take down her evil father. Well call me pleasantly surprised! I loved this sequel int he Fair Assassins series. Sybella is determined to kill her father, who does unspeakable things to all who cross him, including six wives. He is determined to marry the young Duchess from the previous book, Duval's sister, and take over her kingdom. When Sybella foils his plot, she witnesses a brave knight named the Beast take on her father's men. When she finds out he survived and her father plans to hang, draw and quarter him, she sets out to break him free and return him to the Duchess. As she breaks him out, gets kidnapped and nurses him back to health, she realizes she may have feelings for him. This goes against everything she believes about herself. She sees herself as a Dark soul, incapable of love. Her only mission to kill. The Beast seems to bring out her loving side and she is totally confused by this. Sybella takes a journey of self discovery and finds that love is the only thing that can conquer hate. The book is fast moving, filled with adventure, stealthy knife work and enough evil to fill a room. Robin LaFevers knows how to tell a tale that has you on the edge of your seat, rooting for whatever characters she has on the page. I am only disappointed to have to wait a year to find out what happens next, to the last of the three Handmaidens of Death. And I won't be disappointed that it doesn't follow these same characters. Happy reading my friends!