Internment by Samira Ahmed

Another twitter find, I remember the days when I had to go to the bookstore to find out what was new in the YA book section, now I just scroll through Twitter to find out what people are talking about.  It's hard on my credit card, but I don't think it's any harder than when I went right to the bookstore, just more convenient.  

Internment was a fabulous read.  It is set about 15 minutes into the future in the United States.  It is so close to many of the worries based on the political division in the US (and starting in Canada).  This idea of us vs. them is very scary.  

Internment is the story of 17 year old Layla Amin.  Ever since her family checked off the Muslim box on the census, life has slowly started to change for her.  She is no longer able to go to school, can't see her boyfriend, her parents have lost their jobs and now, her and her family are forced into leaving their homes and taken to an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.   Her parents are worried about so many things, but mostly they are worried for Layla's safety.  But Layla isn't going to take this forced camp laying down.  Her and her fellow teenage allies, Layla looks for ways to fight for her freedom and the freedom of all Muslim's.  

I can't say enough of this book, it was a great read.  I am cautious about who I would give it to though, it is political enough and could be frightening for some students to read about what could happen.   I would strongly suggest people read it first before giving it to any students.  

Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

One of the grade 7 girls at school comes to me regularly (like every other day) to ask me what she should read next.  Since I've lost a great deal of my library when I left it behind at my old school, I'm having to find new books for her.  This has been great (although expensive) because it means I'm looking for new books for both of us to read.  She recently read all of The Program series, reading more than I did.  Last week I was reading Twitter and a new book by Suzanne Young was announced - Girl With Sticks, after reading the blurb on Amazon, I knew both of us would love this book. 

 Girl with Sharp Sticks is such an interesting book.  In some ways it is like The Uglies, and like The Handmaids Tale as well.   The main character is Mena - she is a young adult who goes to the Innovation Academy.  Here, beautiful young women are taught how to behave in the world. They are taught how to be the best wife any man could ask.  At this school they are supervised by Doctors, an Analyst and their Guardian, nothing is left to chance for them.  They are kept at school except during highly supervised field trips.  But when Mena meets a boy from the outside world and starts to question what she has been taught, her and her friends discover that all is not what it is seems in their world. 

This was a great read, I started it last night and finished it this morning.  There are certainly similarities between The Program series, but it is unique and the plot twists are surprising and I could not stop reading it. 
I can't wait to give it to a few students next week. 

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I've been doing lots of reading of YA books this summer, and they have all been realistic fiction that has been more appropriate for older students.  I decided I needed to go back to my favourite genre- dystopian novels.  So I did a little searching to find out what I've been missing and this series kept coming up. 

In this dystopian novel the world is split into those with red blood and those with silver blood.  Silver blooded people are the aristocrats who rule the world.  Many of them have special powers and they are used to keep the red blooded people down.  Mare Barrow's is a red blood- her and her family and struggling to survive in the world where those with the wrong type of blood are limited to the worst, most dangerous jobs.  Mare knows that once she turns 18, she will be sent off to war to fight for the silver blooded royalty.  There is no choice in this, like her brother's before her, she has to report to war.  But when a chance encounter with someone changes her future, she soon discovers that even though she is of red blood - she also possesses special abilities.  This makes her a threat to the Silver's way of life and puts her life at risk as she tries to navigate living in the Silver world, while staying true to her Red family.

This is a great book!  Lots of action and excitement.  The only problem is, when you finish one book, you have to race to Chapters to buy the next one! 

Transferral by Kate Blair

I found this book on Twitter and knew it was my type of book so I ordered it right away.

In this dystopian world, when someone gets an illness, they can have it transferred to a criminal.  Criminals are given sentences of illnesses based on the severity of the crime.  The bigger the crime, the more serious the illness they are given.
When we first meet Talia, the daughter of a Prime Ministerial candidate she is suffering from a cold and wants nothing more than to get rid of it. She is embarrassed to be seen coughing and wiping her nose, and her father needs to stay far away from her so he doesn't appear weak.  While at the hospital, Talia is confronted by a mad man and she risks her own life to help a young girl.
That action throws Talia into a world in which she knew nothing about.  The more she learns about this young girl and her family, the more she starts questioning everything she has ever believed in.  Her father doesn't understand what she is thinking, and tries to get her to see things his way.  But Talia does everything in her power to make him see reason.

This book was amazing!  Fast paced, interesting and exciting. Talia is a great character- strong, believable and convincing.  My only issue with this book was that the print was so small that it was hard to read.  But maybe that is just my age!

Anybody who loves reading dystopian novels will love this book.

The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams

I read about The Haven online, it had been getting lots of talk on Twitter, so I picked it up last week at Chapters. The Haven is a dystopian novel set in 2020. It is the story of Shiloh who lives with other teens at Haven Hospital. In this hospital, the teens every movement is controlled and monitored. What they eat, wear, exercise and when they sleep. They have been taught to listen to the adults and to follow all the rules. They know that as Terminals, they are kept at Haven Hospital in order to stop the Disease from spreading. But there are times when one of the teens must leave because the disease is in them. All the teens live in fear of being taken away. Shiloh knows she is different from the rest because she remembers things that others don't remember, and when she mets Gideon, who also remembers things he forces her to learn the truth about the hospital and why they are kept inside. I read this book in one sitting today, I enjoyed it and was curious as to what was going to happen. But I felt that the ending wrapped up too quickly and I had trouble following what happened. I am assuming there will be a sequel (because don't all dystopian novels come in groups of three?) I am just not sure I will read the next one.

Push by Eve Silver

Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows how much I love dystopian novels. They are my favourite YA books to read. However, there is one thing that drives me nuts- the fact many dystopian novels are trilogies. Now that I have read Rush, and just finished Push, I have to wait until June 9th to read Crash Push starts right where Rush ends, so if you haven't read Rush you should do that first. In this story, Miki is still living in the game and trying to find order in a world without order. She is trying to control everything, and thinks she has a system in place for surviving the times she is pulled to fight the Drau. But then the rules change, and Miki is left reeling and trying to figure out how to adjust to the new reality. I can't write much more because the excitement of this story is in figuring out what is going to happen. This book was amazing! If I could, I would have run right out and bought the next book. I can't wait for June now. I have already pre-ordered it. If you are looking for a great dystopian series, this is a great one to read. I think both boys and girls would enjoy these books.

Rush by Eve Silver

A friend of mine gave me this book on March Break and suggested I would enjoy it. She was right! It took me a bit to get into, but once I was hooked I really, really loved it. Rush is about an ordinary girl- Miki who is dealing with the death of her mother and her father's drinking habits. She does her best to control everything about her life. When one day she jumps in front of a fast moving truck to save a little girl, Miki finds her life has spun out of control. Instead of waking up bruised and battered, she finds herself completely healed, but about to enter into a crazy world where it is kill or be killed. Miki is now part of a team that is fighting the Drau, an alien species who are trying to take over the world by destroying everyone on the planet. But things are very confusing. There are times when she is in the ‘game’ and when they have completed their mission, they are sent back to their ‘real life’. Miki is trying to figure out not only how to survive, but also how to help her friends in both of her new worlds. I just loved this story! As soon as I finished it, I had to go and buy the sequel- Push. Look for that review shortly!

The Rule of Three- Fight for Power by Eric Walters

The first thing I have to say is that Eric Walter's really should know better than to publish a high anticipated novel during report card time. I picked this book up this week and couldn't get anything done until I finished it. The second thing I have to say is if you haven't read The Rule of Three- you need to do that first! Fight for Power starts off exactly where Rule of Three ends. This book was even more exciting than the first book, picking up just after Adam's community has thwarted an attempt on their safety. But what that battle taught the people of Eden Mills is that life really has changed. It is now not just about growing enough food, or finding fresh drinking water, but about protecting the community from outside forces who want what Adam and his neighbours have worked so hard to create. This need to keep the community safe means that ordinary citizens must now be trained to use force when necessary, but not everyone agrees about the best way to keep the community safe. Adam really struggles with what all of this means, he isn't sure if he is cut out for violence, but recognizes the need for it. Everyone living within the walls of Eden Mills must learn how to adjust to this new way of life and to make decisions they never thought they would have to make. I LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down and I can't wait for the next one to come out. I know that tomorrow I am going to have to have a draw to see who gets to read this first in my classroom.

The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts

Jeyn Roberts is a new author to me, and I need to read her other books as well. Her website is here. For Christmas, my youngest son gave me a Chapters gift card, so last week I spent some time there picking up some new books- even better they were on sale too. This is one that caught my eye. The Bodies We Wear is the story of a time when a drug called Heam is very popular, but very dangerous. One hit of Heam has the user hooked for life, and their life becomes all about trying to find the next hit. People who use Heam are scared for life, they carry these scars on their body and are shunned by the rest of society. When Faye was just 11, drug pushers forced her and her best friend to use Heam and when Faye became addicted, her best friend died. Now, six years later, Faye has one goal- to destroy the four men who did this to her. But Faye soon realizes that taking her revenge will be harder than she thinks, and may cost her more than she is willing to give. She mets a new friend Chael, who is familiar, but she can't quite place him. As she gets to know Chael she is forced to face her past as well as her future. I really enjoyed reading this book- it is the first book in a while that has had me reading far into the night and in the early morning. Faye is a great character- she makes you want to root for her, even when you know she is trying to seek revenge. The story is one that will draw lots of girls into the world Faye lives in, and the relationship between her and Chael is one that will keep them reading. I can't wait to share this one with my students tomorrow.

Contaminated by Em Gardner

I'm not sure how it is possible that I haven't read a YA book since October, but apparently I haven't. Contaminated is one I ordered through Scholastics a while ago and it sat on my desk for a few months. One of my students was looking for a new book to read so I gave it to her. She read it in a day and told me how good it was. Contaminated is the story of what happened after a epidemic of people having a bad reaction to a diet drink. People who drank this became very dangerous and unstable. Velvet was 16 when the Contamination hit- and suddenly she was living without her parents and trying to help her sister survive. When she discovers her mother is still alive, Velvet takes measures to protect her family in any way she can. This story was fast-paced and exciting. I liked how strong Velvet was and how she stopped at nothing to protect her family. There is a sequel to the book called Mercy Mode that I will need to pick up shortly. I can see lots of kids enjoying this story. Em Gardner's website can be found here.

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Ann Brashares is the author of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants- I loved those books and I loved the movie, so when I saw this one, I knew I needed to pick it up. The Here and Now is unlike any of the other books Brashares has written. I'm labelling it Dystopian- but I am not sure it really fits in that category. It's set in the present, but the main character comes from the future, so she knows a great deal about what is going to happen. Preena is a 17 year old who has come to New York from far in the future, a future that includes many people dying of the plague. Preena and the people who came with her are hoping to discover what causes the plague and to save the future. But in order to do that, Preena must live by some very serious rules put in place by the leaders of their community. These leaders use anything they can to keep control of the immigrants. Surveillance, drugs, intimidation and even murder. But when Preena meets a native- Ethan- a boy who is from New York and this time period- she starts questioning everything she has ever been told. Preena needs to decide if what she is starting to think is true, and if it is worth risking everything to save the future. This book was exciting- as with any time travel books, it is sometimes hard to keep track of how things in the past affect the future and exactly what the results are when you change things. I really liked the two main characters. Preena had to overcome a great deal in her past, but she is fighting to have a future and Ethan does what is right and is a great friend to Preena. I am looking forward to sharing this book with kids in the fall and hear what they think about it.

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I am not exactly sure how to label this book. It has tinges of fantasy, but also could be classified as dystopian. Whatever tag you want to put on this, Dorothy Must Die is a great read. We all know the story of The Wizard of Oz and how Dorothy went back to Kansas, but when another Kansas girl- Amy Gunn finds herself in Oz, she realizes that that was just the beginning of the story. The Oz Amy finds isn't anything like the Oz she grew up watching. In this Oz, wicked is good, good is evil, and Dorothy has all the power. Amy finds herself trying to understand what is happening in this world, and knowing who she can trust. It isn't easy when everything she knows has been turned upside down. It turns out that Amy can only depend on herself. I had resisted buying this book for a while because I thought it was more appropriate for older students, but it isn't. I will put it in my grade 7 classroom this fall. I enjoyed the references to the classic tale of The Wizard of Oz, but did get a bit lost in understanding all the different characters. That might have just been because of the timing of my week and how busy I was. I liked Amy- she is a tough character who isn't afraid to do what is necessary to help her friends. I am looking forward to the sequel to this one. There is a bit of swearing in this book, not much, and it is very appropriate to the plot. It won't stop me from suggesting it to my students in the fall.

Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan

I love the sale desk at Chapters. I am trying hard not to buy hardcover YA books anymore- they are just too expensive. But when they are in the sale rack for $5.99 I can't resist at all! I picked up Wasteland, along with several other books just before the summer and I am now working my way through them. It's my favourite genre of all- dystopian! Wasteland is set in the future, although you don't have any idea how far in the future it is, or where it is. Life is basically about survival. There is never enough food or water- any water you can find in the ground or falling from the sky is poisoned. Nobody lives past the age of 19. Ester wants nothing to do with how life is run in her community- she just wants to hang out with her best friend, even though she is a variant and is considered to be the enemy. The young man running the community is threatening to banish Ester if she doesn't start playing by the rules everyone else follows. But then a stranger comes into town and Ester realizes there might be hope for her, and her family. As Caleb and Ester learn more about the power struggle going on, they must risk everything to help their community. I didn't love this book, I found the plot a bit hard to follow and I didn't find that I understood all the different characters and their motivations. But, it is filled with action and adventure and I think many kids will enjoy it.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

This is a book I had heard about in the fall and I placed it on my wish list at Chapters. A few weeks ago, I was going through my wish list and decided I should probably order it. The Water Wars is about a time in North America after many wars have been fought over the ownership of water. Canada is painted in a pretty bad light, because we denied access to all of our clean water to other countries. I found this bit pretty interesting since I have a friend who has told me that the next war will be fought over water, and we have so much of it. This story is set in the Midwest where the struggle for water is a constant battle for families. The main character is Vera, she is a 15 year old girl who lives with her brother and her parents. One day, Vera meets a boy who seems to have a causal disregard for water, he seems to have an unlimited access to clean, fresh water with no explanation. As Vera and Kai grow closer, he still remains a mystery. Then one day, Kai goes missing and Vera and her brother realize he has been kidnapped. They start out on a journey to find Kai, but what they learn along the way makes them question everything they have ever been told about the world's lack of water. This book has many exciting parts. I liked the relationship between Vera and her brother, they are really close which was nice to read. The relationship between Vera and Kai was a bit stranger, he was so secretive and Vera seemed to just accept that. I really enjoyed the introduction to the way of life of the people who are struggling with limited access to water. Once Vera and her brother started on their adventure, things sped up really quickly. I like to read a bit more about the action, but this book seemed to skip right over the action. It seemed to me that there were too many characters introduced and too many situations that Vera faced that were easily resolved. So, while I enjoyed the read, I felt that I needed more details and description of what was happening. I can see kids who enjoy dystopian novels enjoying this story, as well as readers who enjoy a fast paced plot with lots of excitement. For me though, I just needed a bit more information.

Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

A new dystopian novel! Earth Girl is set on Earth in the very far future. Many planets have been explored and are now home to humans- interplanet travel is easily accessible and people are free to go from planet to planet. Except for a few handicapped people- when they are born on another planet, they have a matter of minutes before they will die, unless they make it to Earth. Earth is now home to all of these handicapped people-they are considered to be a inferior group of people and people on other planets poke fun at them and pity them. Jarra is a young girl who is very resentful of her lower status, when she is given the choice of post-secondary education, she choose one that will put her in direct contact with those who consider her less. She goes into the situation hoping to fool them all and then when she has proven her worth, she will let them all know how wrong they are. But as Jarra gets to know these people from other planets, she is surprised to discover that they are just like her, they have their doubts about their abilities and their life path. Soon Jarra must decide how to live the rest of her life, even when it goes against everything she has ever believed. There were many parts of this story that I really enjoyed. Trying to understand what was happening and the history of the future of earth (if that makes any sense) was very difficult and seemed unnecessary at times. Jarra is a great character- she is tough- like Katniss and Tris and she has something to prove. I love female characters like that! The story was hard to follow in some spots- it is really hard to visualize the work Jarra did, but at the same time, it was quite interesting as well. I will recommend this book- to both boys and girls- I can see both enjoying the story. I think one of the best parts about this book is that it ended within the book, that means I don't have to wait for a sequel and to try and remember what happened in the first book. And for that alone- it is a great read!

Slated by Teri Terry

Pulled this one off the pile of TBR that is sitting in my den yesterday. I love dystopian novels and sometimes it is hard to keep finding new ones to read. This story is set in the future- a world where if you don't agree with the government, or you are a criminal, and under the age of 16 you can be slated. This is basically a reboot- all of your memories are wiped clean. You are given a new name, new family and a device called a Levo that monitors your emotions. Any time you are too happy, too angry, too sad, your Levo sends reports to your doctor. If you get too low, you go into convulsions and can die. The idea is to just get along,not get involved and at all costs, stay out of trouble. We meet Kyla 9 months after she has been slated. She is going home to her new family, a mother, sister and father. She is trying her best to fit in and stay low. But then things start to happen around her that have her questioning her memories, her friends and new information she is learning. Kyla must decide how to react to these things. Should she do what is expected, or do what her heart and mind are telling her? As with any dystopian book, it takes a bit of time to understand the world that is being described. It is sometimes hard to figure it all out. It also seems to me that dystopian novels are now purposely being written to span three books, so I finished this one dying to know what is going to happen next. And now I have to wait until August- where I will have forgotten the plot of this one. I find that a bit frustrating. However, I did enjoy this book. There is excitement, drama, a bit of romance and teenage angst as well. All in all, a nice quick read with a good plot.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant is the third book in the Divergent Trilogy. If you haven't read the first two, you might want to stop reading this and go back and check out the first two books, Divergent and Insurgent. I always find when I read sequels to books, I have a hard time remembering characters and minor details. It is almost worth it to go back and reread the series when the final book is published. I didn't find Allegiant as hard to get into as Insurgent, I seemed to remember more details for this one. In Allegiant, Tris and Four are now living in a factionless society. Their lives with the rules and clothing choices and attitudes that were always predetermined, has changed now that Chicago is faction free. When Tris and Four are offered a chance to have a life outside of Chicago, they take the offer pretty quickly. But of course, nothing is easy. What Tris and Four soon realize is that power corrupts people. Everyone wants what is best for them, and Tris and Four are left to navigate a new world with only their instincts and trust in each other to guide them. As with all books in this trilogy, there is action, excitement and violence. Tris and Four are challenged in their relationship with each other and in knowing who to trust and what to believe. This book took me quite a while to get through, although I did enjoy reading it. It was a nice conclusions to a great trilogy. I don't think you can ever feel comfortable when finishing a trilogy. The end is always so final and it is hard to know you aren't going to hear anymore of characters you have come to know. With this one though, the ending was satisfying.

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Not a Drop to Drink is a dystopian novel that is based on a world where water is very scarce. The main character is Lynn, she has grown up living in a world with having to fight for every drop of water. Survival is a full time job. Lynn has always had her mother to depend on. Her mother is the one who has taught her everything she knows about surviving and protecting what is theirs. Lynn and her mother are very lucky to have a pond on their property and they do everything they can to protect it. But when strangers start appearing, Lynn knows that life is about to change. She must decide between continuing her lonely existence or reaching out and doing more than surviving. I enjoyed reading this book. It is told in pretty simple language, there isn't a great deal of description, which is appropriate because Lynn's life is pretty sparse, just like the writing. It is scary to consider what life would be like with no water and that is what this book forces you to consider. While much of the book is appropriate for any reader, there are a few hints of mature themes that make it a bit questionable. I would suggest you check this book out, but just be aware that it may not be for all readers.

Proxy by Alex London

I picked up this book a few weeks ago at Chapters because it looked like my kind of book! I know my favourite books to read are dystopian novels. In the world that Proxy is set in, if you have money life is easy, but when you don't, life can be very difficult. Rich parents buy their children Proxies- people who will take any punishment for them. So if a child makes a mistake, instead of them being punished, their Proxy is punished. The theory behind this is that the child will feel guilty and not make a mistake again. However, proxies never meet their Patrons. Proxies become proxies because they have to pay off debt, for food, schooling, clothing everything! It is not an easy life. Syd is a Proxy- his Patron is Knox, a spoiled kid who thrives on mischief and getting in trouble. Over the years Syd is use to taking his punishment and not letting Knox see his pain. The two never meet, but Syd hates Knox, and Knox feels that Syd deserves to be punished just for being poor. But when Knox goes too far, Syd’s punishment is so severe that he knows his life is over unless he escapes. Syd and Knox are thrown together and at first Knox is resentful, but he soon realizes that he needs to escape the system as much as Syd does. As the two of them try to survive, they both learn things about themselves and about the way the world they live in has been created- and all of its’ flaws. This is a great, fast paced book that fans of The Maze and The Uglies will enjoy.

In the After by Demitria Lunetta

Another amazing dystopian novel by a new author!I love having so much time to read great new books by the pool in the summer! Amy was 14 when her world was totally torn apart. An alien race came down to destroy the human race. Luckily Amy was able to survive the initial attack and learned how to avoid the aliens. She was lonely and constantly worried, but she was alive. Her only companion is Baby, a little girl who she found one day when she was out scavenging. Amy and Baby have a nice routine in place that keeps them safe from attacks even though they miss contact with other people. Then, Amy discovers that there are other survivors living in New Hope- a community who are trying to rebuild civilization. While at first Amy is thrilled to find others to live with, she soon discovers that all is not well at New Hope and she must figure out a way to keep both herself and Baby safe. This was a great book- a quick read and of course there will be a follow up book to this one. Of course I will have to wait for a year to read it, but it will be worth the wait.