Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson

There is something that I cannot resist about a slim novel and this one comes in at 149 pages plus has a great cover.  I'll be honest and say upfront that this isn't a book for everyone but I really liked it.  It was weird, which I love, and it was scifi without feeling like scifi.

This is our world after the vuvv, an alien race shaped somewhat like coffee tables, have landed.  The vuvv are all about efficiency and when they first landed they promised Earth a world with no more work and no more disease.  However, all of their tech was sold to the highest bidders and now the economy is in ruins.  Adam used to have a normal life but now his father is gone, there's another family living in his basement, and his mother has been unemployed for months.  Adam is a painter in a world where most art is digital and each short chapter feels like a painting.  Adam is trying to find ways to support his family, by recording his relationship with Chloe for the vuvv and entering in an art contest, while dealing with a disease makes digestion miserable.

I thought this was a really interesting book.  It looked at the line between the haves and have-nots in a way that didn't feel heavy handed.  Adam's family used to be middle class and I like how it painted the picture that anyone could lose everything.  Adam's mother never gives up hope and Adam is always trying to come up with a better way.  Great scifi for someone who doesn't necessarily like scifi. -RYQ

Jem and the Holograms #2: Viral

I am absolutely loving this graphic novel reboot of the old 1980s cartoon. Jem and the Holograms #2: Viral picks up where Showtime left off. 

Despite being disqualified from the Misfits Vs. competition for starting a food fight with the hosts, the Holograms' popularity is steadily rising. Unfortulately, not all is well with with the ladies of the band. Jerrica is feeling overwhelmed by all the duties that go along with managing (and also fronting) her sisters' band while trying to keep her identity as Jem a secret. This is becoming increasingly difficult with her investigative reporter boyfriend, Rio, poking around for an exclusive story. Kimber is depressed because things have not panned out so well with her starcrossed love interest (and also Misfits member), Stormer. Aja is caught up in a romance with Craig and Shana is (secretly) considering applying for a fashion school internship that will take her far from her sisters (and her band). Tensions are high in Camp Hologram. Seems the sudden fame may be taking its toll...

Meanwhile, at Camp Misfit, things are no better. The band's popularity has plummeted since the Food Fight Incident and they are taking the heat for everything that went down that day (even though it kind of was their fault, indirectly). The ladies are fighting amongst themselves and diva frontwoman, Pizzazz, is not dealing with her anger and frustration in the most constructive way. In attempt to turn the band's failing reputation around, the head of FiveByFive records assigns the ladies a new manager who definitely does not play by the rules (and is pretty much pure evil-at least so far).

Things come to a head when the two bands learn they will be sharing the bill of an upcoming tour. The Misfits crash a Halloween party hosted by the Holograms, hoping to dig up some dirt on their rivals, but end up fighting amongst themselves instead. Pizzazz storms off, Roxy and Jetta bicker about petty things, and Stormer finds Kimber and they have a very adorable make-up (and make-out) session. Meanwhile, Techrat snoops where he doesn't belong and discovers some very disturbing news about Synergy. 

The whole drama cumulates with Pizzazz getting into a car crash and sustaining potentially career-ending injuries to her vocal chords.

Can you say Cliffhanger?!?!?!

OMG!!! How can I wait until the third volume comes out?!?!?!?!?

What I really love about this series, aside from the colors (OMG, the colors! so pretty!!), is the character development. Unlike the old cartoon, where good and evil was very distinct and one-sided, these characters have actual depth. They're like real people. The "good guys" have flaws, make mistakes, get angry, and say/do things they regret. The "bad guys" aren't all bad and, actually, have a lot of heart (they just don't always show it). I especially liked the development of the Misfits in Viral, and look forward to getting to know their characters better in future volumes. In fact, they're quickly becoming my favorite part of the series.

Another great thing is the humor. I loved all the little jokes and quips. And the pop culture references (the Karate Kid bit was one of the best things about this book)!

This series just gets better and better! And I'm very excited for #3! --AJB 

The Giver by Lois Lowry

You would think that since this was like my sixth time reading this book that the ending wouldn't frustrate me so much but it totally does.  I just want to shake Lois Lowry.  I hear that reading the quartet ties up Jonas's story but I'm so distrustful at this point that I refuse.  I refuse!


Honestly, this is a classic for a reason and if you haven't read it already, you should.  It speaks volumes that I have read it six times now.

Jonas lives in a futuristic world where there is nothing unexpected and everything is safe.  In the community, people are assigned their careers, apply for spouses and children, receive their meals from Food Delivery People.  Orders and reminders are broadcast over a speaker.  In the mornings, families share their dreams.  In the evenings, they tell their feelings.  There is no color, no weather, and no emotion.  When somebody commits a serious offense against the rules, they are "released."  Every home only has three books: a dictionary, a rule book, and a directory.

Jonas is about to turn 12, which every child born in his year does at the same time at a ceremony.  At 12, children are assigned their work and begin to train for their careers.  Jonas is nervous.  There is nothing that he is particularly interested in or good at, though he does well at most things and is open to possibilities.  But when it is his turn to receive his assignment, the Chief Elder passes over him completely.  Jonas's stomach automatically drops.  What did he do wrong?

But Jonas has been chosen.

The most honorable position in all of their community is that of Receiver.  The Receiver holds all of the memories of the imperfect past so that the other members of the community don't have to.  The Receiver has wisdom from the memories and is sometimes asked to give an opinion on a change in the rules based on this wisdom.  When Jonas begins to receive the memories, he begins to question the world around him and whether it is better than the way the world used to be.  Is it different Elsewhere?  How can he find out? -RYQ

Beta, by Rachel Cohn

Beta is written by Rachel Cohn and so far I thought this book was quite fascinating! Rachel Cohn presents readers a Utopian society existing on an island engineered to be paradise on earth. Humans aren't bothered with trivial things like work, only luxury and leisure. Instead, the work is done by clones - servants cloned from the recently deceased. Void of souls and feelings, they are perfect for a life of servitude. Elysia is a beta clone - one of the first few teenage clones in existence with a rampant threat of defects. On the island of perfection, defects mean death. But Elysia isn't like other clones. She can taste food. She can remember memories from her first's life. She learns that there are others out there, others who are planning a revolution. Elysia must choose her side, and risk everything in order to claim what clones were never meant to have - a life of her own.

I do not know much about science but I felt that the explanation and the process of clone-making was thought out but slightly confusing in the beginning. Cohn does a remarkable job in describing the Utopian world and her world actually makes sense. The entire novel takes place on Demesne, the human-engineered paradise, with a brief mentions of other cities. *JK*

Bar Code Tattoo, by Suzanne Weyn

"There's an app for that..."

Well, pretty much.

In the not-so-distant future (2025 to be exact), everyone is getting it: A Bar Code Tattoo that contains ALL one's personal information. To be able to shop, drive, or do anything, you must get one. Rebellious Kayla, 17, hates the idea of being labeled and plans to resist getting the tattoo. Then people with the tattoos begin dying in mysterious ways, and Kayla is sure there is a link between the two. 

When the government agency distributing the tattoos makes the marking mandatory for everyone, Kayla runs away and joins a group of other young rebels. Together, they plan to fight and take down those responsible for the tattoos and their tragic/creepy side effects. Of course there's a romance, plenty of drama, and some seriously sci-fi worthy stuff that, in today's age of apps and smart phones and other micro-technology, isn't really that far off base. 

Suzanne Weyn's 2004 dystopian is a great, if undiscovered, read. 

Unreliable Narrators

For many, trust (or the ability to trust) is a very important factor when it comes to interacting with both strangers and the people they know. So why should it be any different with characters in books? Particularly when it comes to first-person narrators.

Because the alternative makes for a more interesting story. Thus, the popularity of the Unreliable Narrator.

Sometimes these narrators are being intentionally dishonest and the truth is revealed as the story unfolds. Other times, the narrator themself is in the dark about what's going on around them and must uncover the mystery along with the reader. Either way, such narrators make for real page-turners that often come paired with jaw-droppingly shocking endings!

Because these sort of books are so awesome, we've set up a whole display to spotlight them. This can be found along the top of the "New" book shelf.

Some of MY personal favorite books with Unreliable Narrators are:

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray: Cameron is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease, a fatal sickness that will eat away at his mind and body until he eventually bites it. While languishing in the hospital, he is approached by a pink-haired angel who assigns him the task of saving the universe. Accompanied by a neurotic dwarf and cursed Norse god, Cameron embarks on this grand quest.

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart: Two years ago, Cady was in some sort of accident that caused amnesia and terrible migraines.  All she knows is her friends, the Liars, were somehow involved. No one will tell Cady what happened. Not her family, not the Liars, not her own mother. They all say the same thing, that she must remember on her own. When she finally does remember, nothing is the same.

Chime, by Franny Billingsley: Briony is a witch. Her step mother told her as much just before she died. This is why her sister is the way she is, why her father's home was almost swept away in a flood--and then half destroyed by a fire. Briony must hide the truth about herself or else be hanged. It is only when a handsome stranger comes to stay with her family does Briony start to question her step mother's claim. Because witches can't cry. Or love. 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary Pierson: Jenna can't remember anything about her life before the accident that claimed the lives of her two best friends. All she has is a box of old home movie videos. As Jenna watches, she learns about her life. But it isn't until she views the last movie, the one that her mother hid from her, that she learns who--or what--she really is.

--AJB

More Teen Reviews

Even more reviews from our Teen Readers:

Piper read Unwind, by Neil Shusterman: "The story follows three teenagers--Connor, Risa, and Lev--as they try to escape their fate of being unwound in a dystopian future. After the Heartland War, abortion is now illegal. However, parents can now chose to send their kids to harvest camps to have their body parts harvested for donation. Will Connor, Risa, and Lev be able to survive? Find out in Unwind!"

Ariana, 15, loved A.G, Howard's Splintered, which is part of the Welcome to the Real Wonderland series: "Amazing! The writing is brilliant and will captivate the reader from beginning to end. A real page turner with believable and lovable characters you can relate to. Many good metaphors and a wonderful take on Wonderland."

Did you really like (or dislike) a book? Write a review! 

Teen Reviewer: Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

Teen reviewer Clare, 14, picked up an advanced reader copy of Michelle Gagnon's Strangelets because a friend suggested she read it. She ended up really enjoying this suspenseful dystopian thriller. Here is her review:

"Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon is difficult to describe without spoiling it, largely due to the amount of twists and turns the story takes. The novel begins with the three main characters dying...until they wake up together at the same eerie, abandoned hospital. The setup was unique, and very much unlike any other novel I had read prior to this. From that point, the story gradually morphed into a dystopian novel and, while I disliked this, the likable and believable characters more than made up for it. The mystery that surrounds what is happening to the characters is what fuels the novel. The answers are all given to you at once, making the second half much less exciting than the first. Despite my complaints, Strangelets is still an interesting and well-written that, while not perfect, has a satisfying ending and plot developments that will have you on the edge of your seat!"

Strangelets was released in April 2013.

Endangered Book: Epoch

The end is near for this week's Endangered Book--quite literally! In Epoch, we meet Vincent, 14, who hides his ability to see elves, pixies, demons, and other such fantastical creatures from his strictly religious family (they'd totally disown him if they knew--or worse). Vincent learns from these creatures the end of the world as he knows it will happen in two days.  The planet's creatures must find and pass through hidden portals to safety if they don't want to be eaten by some particularly nasty creatures. Bwahahahahaha! Vincent must convince family and friends to leave the planet with him--like, NOW! But the question remains: Will they take him seriously?

Timothy Carter artfully mixes fantasy, sci-fi, and satire in his apocalyptically enjoyable tale of good vs. evil. Unfortulately, Epoch hasn't been checked out in a few years, which means it's in danger of being weeded from the collection. If you're looking for an unusual and funny story, Epoch is for you. Please save this great book! --AJB

Skylark

Lark has been looking forward to her long-overdue Harvest Ceremony (a coming-of-age rite where children's magic is gleaned to power her City's protective Wall) for many years. Just when she fears she will be overlooked, her name is called. But being harvested is nothing like Lark has anticipated. Following several painful and terrifying ordeals, Lark learns her magic regenerates--a quality almost unheard of among her people. Her nightmarish fate is to become a living battery, forever a prisoner of the City. Horrified, Lark escapes into the treacherous world beyond the Wall. Her only clue to where she is going is the hope of finding others like herself. The first in a planned trilogy.

Skylark interestingly combines elements of Dystopia, Sci-Fi, and Steampunk. While not the most exciting example of these generes, the story possesses its own moody qualities that will likely hook readers and keep them interested. Skylark can be found on the Teen Department's New Book Shelf. --AJB

Every Day is Different

Every day, a traveling, genderless soul named A wakes up in a different body and to a different life. Sometimes it's a guy. Other times it's a girl. Race, religion, economic status, healthy or sickly, anything else... it doesn't matter. The change happens. The only constant is the host body is always the same age as A. It has always been this way. And A has gotten used to it. The only rule is A must not interfere in anyone's life. And A has kept to that rule. But then A meets Rhiannon, the girlfriend of a boy A inhabits. Despite better judgement, A falls in love with Rhiannon and attempts to stay in touch with her. Results could be disastrous.

As with all David Levithan's books, Every Day is highly unique, yet exceptionally enjoyable. This is not a straightforward love story where boy meets girl and everything is peachy (except for some slight drama at some point). The reader never even figures out if A is male or female. Rather, this is about whether we can recognize the inner essence (if you will) of someone we connect with, no matter what that someone looks like. An interesting concept explored in an even more interesting way. And well worth checking out. --AJB