Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

Well hello Scott Westerfeld! I was quite happy to spend the weekend with you. Wait, that's not quite right...I spent the weekend listening to the audiobook of Uglies. I loved it!

I am a big fan of dystopian fiction. It's always intriguing to see what an author has created in their version of the future. In Uglies, Tally is looking forward to her 16th birthday - as that's the day she gets her surgeries - to be pretty. And then all she is to do is have fun. Her friend Shay doesn't want to "be pretty" and she leaves the enclave to see what's out there...

This was the setting I was keen to hear more about. I always take the time to mentally draw the settings and compare to our world and the path we're taking. 

The characters are well drawn and engaging. Tally will keep you on your toes as the story unfolds. I quite liked David who lives 'out there'. There's a great supporting cast. And though I had partially guessed what might happen next, I couldn't stop listening. And when I listened the last chapter, I just wanted to get my hands on the second book!

I chose to listen to Uglies and that was a great choice. The narrator was Brianne Tju and her performance was perfect. Her 'teen' voice is believable. Her speaking is clear and easy on the ears. She has easily captured the action, emotions and the tenor of Westerfeld's work with her voice. I've said it before, I feel more immersed a story when I listen. This was the case with Uglies. Hear for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt.  An easy five stars. 

(Uglies is now available on a streaming service. Brianne Tju plays Shay in the film.)

The Stranded - Sarah Daniels

I love YA fiction for my 'slouch on the couch' escapist reading. My latest is Sarah Daniels' excellent debut YA novel - The Stranded.

Dystopian and post apocalyptic fiction are some of my favorite genres. Daniels has imagined a world set in 2094. Thousands of people were caught out on the European ship Arcadia and were denied permission to land on the shores of the Federated States when another pandemic hit. So they've been on the cruise ship for over forty years. New generations have no idea what it feels like to be on land. But they have a plan to try and find out....

Daniels' descriptions are detailed and bring the ship to life. The claustrophobic rooms holding more people than they were ever meant to, the rusty and decrepit machinery, gangs in the below decks, broken everything, shortages and more. At the same time, there are 'futuristic' items being used in a number of ways - health and weaponry. 

And who's in charge? Not the captain, but a cruel, brutal officer of the Federated States. You're going to love to hate him for sure. And who are you going to be on board with? (Unintended pun, but I like it) The resistance and the teens who have a plan - Esther, her boyfriend Alex, her sister May and friend Nik. Your loyalty to one or more of the teens will change as the plot moves forward. I have to say that May was my favorite. There's some romance, but it's not overdone. There's a large group of supporting character, all with a role to play. Action and danger drive the book forward and kept me rapidly turning pages. 

If you've liked the movie/series of Snowpiercer and the Hunger Games books, you'll enjoy The Stranded. I did! This book is listed as Stranded #1 - I will be watching for #2. I'm eager to see what's next - there's more story to be told. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Stranded. 

Hunting by Stars - Cherie Dimaline

I was so excited to read Cherie Dimaline's new book - Hunting by Stars. It continues the story that began in her 2017 multi award winning novel, The Marrow Thieves.

In the not so distant future, a plague and natural disasters have decimated the world - and erased the ability to dream. Without dreams people go mad. Until...the government discovers that Indigenous people are still dreaming. And now they are being hunted for their bone marrow, as the government believes that's where the dreams are stored.

Seventeen year old French and his family have been on the run for years, hiding in the forests, determined to build their community, keep their language - and stay out of the hands of the Recruiters. But a single slip finds French in a cement walled unlit room - and he knows where he is...

There is a large cast of characters, with some being lost and some being found along the way. I've become quite invested in everyone's story over the two books. We come to know the stories of many characters through their own words. I love  the sense of community, the continuity,  the loves, the losses, the hopes and yes, dreams. And what family is.

Dimaline's world building is believable, well described and easily imagined as I read.

I started Hunting by Stars on September 30th, which seemed very fitting as the day was the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. There are many levels to Hunting by Stars. It's a fabulous, suspense filled page turner that you won't be able to put down. But it's also a narrative on the horrific treatment of  Indigenous people - fact, not fiction. Residential schools, horrific living conditions with no clean water, missing women on the Highway of Tears, racism and so much, much more. 

Gut wrenchingly good - absolutely a five star read! Dimaline is a consummate storyteller. See for yourself- read an excerpt of Hunting by Stars.  You'll want to read The Marrow Thieves first. I don't think this story is done - I'll be watching for the third book!

The Testaments - Margaret Atwood

Well, has there ever been a more anticipated sequel? Thirty five years on, Margaret Atwood has penned The Testaments - the follow up to The Handmaid's Tale.

Made into a Hulu series, The Handmaid's Tale has reached new generations, both on the screen and on the written page. That first book took us to Gilead, a regime where men ruled, women were chattel and handmaids were there to breed. All under the umbrella of religion.

Fifteen years have passed when The Testaments opens. There are three narratives. I as quite surprised to see that Aunt Lydia (if you've read The Handmaid's Tale, you'll know who this is) is the primary voice. "But among these bloody fingerprints are those made by ourselves, and these can't be wiped away so easily. Over the years I've buried a lot of bones; now I"m inclined to dig them up again - if only for your edification, my unknown reader." And turned what I had thought about this character upside down.

There are two other testaments - that of Witness 369A and Witness 369B - both young women from different sides of the 'border' - one living in Gilead, one safe in Canada. "We were the beneficiaries of the sacrifices made by our forebears. We were constantly reminded of this, and ordered to be grateful. Bbut it's difficult to be grateful for the absence of of an unknown quantity."

How those narratives weave together and what will happen will keep readers up late at night. And as more and more is revealed and the underlying plan becomes visible, I couldn't put the book down. And, as I don't want to provide any spoilers, I'll leave it at that. But suffice to say, I loved it.

Atwood's imagining of such a world is not so far fetched. I leave you with this....:Atwood reiterated that "each detail is plucked from reality" so nothing she wrote has not occurred already, whether it be in this climate or previously before." Scary huh? Read an excerpt of The Testaments.

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World - C.A. Fletcher

I was absolutely consumed by C.A. Fletcher's new book, A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World. I literally couldn't put it down, and when I did, it was only because the tension was killing me and I had to walk away before I peeked ahead!

To honor the author's request..."It'd be a kindness to other readers - not to say this author - if the discoveries made as you follow Griz's journey into the ruins of our world remained a bit of a secret between us....", I'll be circumspect.

A event has taken most of the people from the Earth. But decades later there are still pockets of survivors that have made lives for themselves. Griz and his family are one of those, living on a remote Scottish island. (it really exists) But everything changes when a stranger arrives by water. And steals Griz's dog. And, for Griz, there is no choice - he's going to get his dog back.

"There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you. Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?"

Oh, what's not to love! What is Griz going to find outside of the parameters of his island? Who is still out there? What remnants of our civilization remain? Does he get his dog back? An author's imagining of a world after ours fascinates me every time. And Fletcher's vision of a future world is fantastic.

I love that Fletcher chose a young protagonist. This journey is a coming of age story for Griz. His determination and courage will endear him to readers. His thoughts and observations as he writes in his journal give this character even more depth. And food for thought for the reader.

The dog. Ahh, readers who are dog lovers (me included) are going to appreciate the canines in this tale. It's so easy to understand why Griz is determined to find his.

Fletcher is a dastardly master of foreshadowing and cliff hanger chapter endings. A sentence dropped into a paragraph that telegraphs a clue, an impending happening in Griz's quest. This is where I wanted to peek ahead so badly. (But don't!) Griz's journey is action-packed and will have the reader on the edge of their seat.

As Griz says - "I said I especially like the ones about apocalypses and dystopias because it's always interesting to see what the Before thought the After would be like."

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World is going to a be a favorite read of mine for 2019. C.A. Fletcher - if you're listening - more please! Read an excerpt of A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World.

Vox - Christina Dalcher

You’ve read The Handmaid's Tale and you're caught up on the last episode of the series. Now what? Here’s one that might fill the bill - Vox by Christina Dalcher.

It’s not hard to imagine a future (present or past) where women’s lives are controlled by men. And how is that control achieved in Vox? By language - the lack of, to be precise. In Vox women are only allowed 100 words a day. They wear a silver band on their wrist that shocks them if they go over that limit, increasing in voltage with every word above the limit. It's all part of a return to 'traditional values'. "Pure"

Jeanne McClellan was a neurolinguist before her voice was taken away. It is only when the new president needs a cure for his brother that her bracelet is taken off and she’s brought in to resume work on her research - restoring language to brain-damaged individuals. But with every suppression...there's resistance. Vox details a time in the near future that isn't too hard to imagine.

I enjoyed Dalcher's world building. And yes, it's not much of a stretch to see the traditional value, male dominated society. Dalcher herself has worked in the linguistics field and that knowledge gave the plot depth and detail. There's lots of action as the tension ramps up to the final 'showdown'. The author has created a good cast of characters in both Jeanne and supporting players. I did find myself more drawn to those supporters though, instead of  Jeanne. I didn't agree with some of her decisions or treatment of other resistance members.

Some developments and plot directions seemed a bit quick,  if you will. There were points where I felt there should be more plausibility built in. But, on reading the publisher's notes, I learned that Vox was written in two months - which is pretty darn amazing.

There's lots of food for thought in Vox, mirroring many of today's news headlines. I was thoroughly entertained  by Vox and would be curious to see what Dalcher writes next. Here's an excerpt of Vox. (And that cover is great isn't it?!)

The Salt Line - Holly Goddard Jones

I ran across a mention of Holly Goddard Jones' new book The Salt Line in a newsletter. The publisher's description intrigued me..."In the spirit of Station Eleven and California, award-winning novelist Holly Goddard Jones offers a literary spin on the dystopian genre with this gripping story of survival and humanity about a group of adrenaline junkies who jump 'the Salt Line'."

The Salt Line defines the area of 'safe' and 'unsafe'. Civilization and the wilds. The are outside of the Line has become a tourist destination for those wealthy enough to pay for an excursion - and what's needed to survive the deadly ticks that populate the land outside the Line. But ticks aren't the only danger....there are people living on the other side of the border as well.

Goddard Jones gives us an ensemble cast with numerous strong personalities and leads. They are all flawed to a degree, with some eliciting sympathy and others fueling anger. Her world building is imaginative and believable. The ticks are darn right scary - and take inspiration from the illness that ticks cause in our present day. I am always fascinated by the imagining of a populace that survives outside of a 'protected' zone. The plotting that ties the outside and the tourists back to their world is inventive and well thought out. But Goddard Jones takes a further step and spends as much time on the relationships of the characters, their thoughts, actions and interactions.

I'm so very glad I stumbled across The Salt Line. I loved it - and am hoping that there might be another book in the works. There's a nice little scene at the end - some unfinished business that perhaps promises more. Read an excerpt of The Salt Line.

California - Edan Lepucki

California is Edan Lepucki's debut novel.

I am infatuated with dystopian and apocalyptic novels. The description of California immediately caught my eye...

"The world Cal and Frida have always known is gone, and they've left the crumbling city of Los Angeles far behind them. They now live a shack in the wilderness, working side by side to make their days tolerable in the face of hardship.....But the tentative existence they've built for themselves is turned upside down when Frida finds out she's pregnant."

There hasn't been a great nuclear war or one significant event that has heralded the end of the world that Cal and Frida knew. Instead it has been a series of natural disasters and reluctant but necessary acceptance of the way things are now. Society has eroded into the haves and the have nots. While Cal and Frida make their home in a shack, those that can afford to, live in safe, gated communities with food, health care and more. I immediately thought that this scenario is not that far off - having just read a newspaper story of water being turned off - the city of Detroit sprang to mind.

I wanted to know to know more about the erosion of society, but this isn't the focus of the book. Instead it is what comes after. I also wanted to know what lay beyond the woods that Cal and Frida have settled in. Are the rumours of other outsider settlements true?

I'm always fascinated by an author's world building in such novels. Lepucki does a good job imagining what might be. I think because it is so 'near future' and absolutely believable that the world of California is all the more chilling.

There are a great number of varied characters populating California. Of the two lead characters I was drawn to and empathized with Cal. I have to say that I didn't like Frida at all as I found her spoiled and selfish. But several of the players from 'beyond' the woods really captured my interest.

Much, if not most of the book, is focused on the characters and their interactions - between couples, family, friends and strangers. A society rebuilding does not necessarily learn from it's past mistakes. Much of what happens can be sadly predicted.  Lepucki infuses this rebuilding with a plot that was slowly (and a bit maddeningly) revealed. The buildup to the end in the last quarter of the book is tension and action filled and had me reading just another chapter before bed. But the actual ending left me feeling somewhat unfulfilled. I found it anti-climatic after the journey to get there. It's a bit nebulous, leaving the reader to their own inferences as to what happens going forward.

Still, California was a strong debut and I would be interested in reading Lepucki's next novel. Read an excerpt of California. You can find Edan Lepucki on Twitter. And here's the story behind the "Colbert Approved".

Bird Box - Josh Malerman

I love audio books. Listening to a book is somehow more intimate, making you feel closer to the author's words. And the experience of the book is much different than reading it. Josh Malerman's debut novel Bird Box is one I am so very glad I listened to. My husband can't stand the light on at night, so I usually listen to an audio book before falling asleep.

Here's the premise of Bird Box. In the near future, something or someone has arrived on Earth. One glance at whatever it is will drive you mad and a horrible death immediately ensues. There are a handful of survivors who have figured out how to stay alive.  One group in a house by the river includes a young woman named Malorie.

Malerman flips the narrative back and forth as we learn how the situation in the house deteriorated and what led to Malorie and two four year olds named Boy and Girl sitting in a boat blindfolded, trying to row their way to what may or may not be a safe haven. Each narrative is just as gripping, switching at just the right moment, leaving the listener wanting more. (And leaving me mighty tired in the morning)

Malerman ramps up the scary factor by tenfold (or more!) Actions that we would take for granted are suddenly terrifying. Going outside is frightening beyond belief - is something watching you? Stalking you? What just touched your arm? Was it a branch...or something else? Was that a footstep or just a branch dropping? You can't know - because you can't open your eyes. You do, you die. But what if? What if you did look? What if you looked through a camera? What if...?

This is one of the best audio books I've listened to in a long, long time. Remember, I'm in the dark listening. It only intensified the story as I imagined what the characters in Bird Box were going through. I truly had goosebumps. There are no overt gory scenes in the book - rather it is the slow building tension that is the most horrifying. Cassandra Campbell was the reader and she did an excellent job. Her voice is easy to listen to and has a lovely resonant tone to it. Her interpretation of the book did it great justice. I felt I was in the story with Malorie as she recounted her tale - an even, resigned tone to the known and ramping up as the danger of the unknown increases.  Listen to an excerpt of Bird Box.

I'll be waiting to see what Malerman comes up with for his next book. Universal Pictures has also optioned Bird Box. Fans of Cormac McCarthy's The Road would love this book.

Red Rising - Pierce Brown

I quite enjoy dystopian fiction. I devoured the Hunger Games and Allegiant series and have been keeping an eye out for another series that will capture me....

...and boy did I find one! Pierce Brown has just released his debut novel - Red Rising - the first in a planned trilogy. You're going to want to get your hands on this one.

Darrow is a Red - the lowest class of a future world. His colour toils in the mines under the surface of Mars to prepare the planet for settlement by the higher colors. Gold is the highest.

" You brave Red Pioneers of Mars - strongest of the human breed - sacrifice for progress, sacrifice to pave the way for the future. Your lives, your blood, are a down payment for the immortality of the human race as we move beyond Earth and Moon. You go where we could not. You suffer so that others do not. Soon the red planet will have breathable air, livable soil. And soon, when Mars is habitable, when you brave pioneers have made ready the red planet for us softer Colors, we will join you and you will be held in highest esteem beneath the sky your toil created."

The Reds have faithfully and obediently worked for generations to achieve this mandate...until the day that Darrow discovers that they have lied. Lied for hundreds of  years. Mars is already fully settled and the Reds are nothing more than slaves.

You see it coming don't you?  Darrow is the hope of the Reds- can they pass him off as a Gold, send him to their academy and eventually infiltrate the higher ranks to bring them down?

"I am no Gold. I am a Red. He thinks men like me weak. He thinks me dumb, feeble, subhuman. I was not raised in palaces. I did not ride horses through meadows and eat meals of hummingbird tongues. I was forged in the bowels of this hard world. Sharpened by hate. Strengthened by love. He is wrong. None of them will survive."

Brown has done a fantastic job with world building. He started with a great premise and as the book goes on it only gets more imaginative and descriptive. I was totally transported to the future.

All the elements are in place for a gripping, action packed, no stopping 'til you're done read...

Think it's only for teens or boys? No way! This middle aged female reader was transported to a faraway planet in a distant time where the seeds of rebellion have been sown.... Where the thirst for vengeance is played out in an arena where rules fall by the wayside.... Where the underdog is fueled by a burning need to set things right... Where honour and revenge collide.... Where friendships are dangerous, alliances are formed and broken, love blossoms and everything can change in a heartbeat....Where thinking two steps ahead of your enemy will keep you alive....

Red Rising hooked me from the very first pages and I only slowed down when I reluctantly realized I was nearing the end. Brown gives us a satisfying conclusion to this chapter of the trilogy and only whets our appetites for more with the segue into the next book. ( I will absolutely be picking it up!)
Read an excerpt of Red Rising.

"Reds at the bottom, everyone else standing on our back. Now you're looking at me and you're realizing that we don't bloodydamn like it down there. Red is rising....

"Pierce Brown spent his childhood building forts and setting traps for cousins in the woods of six states and the deserts of two. Graduating from college in 2010, he fancied the idea of continuing his studies at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a magical bone in his body. So while trying to make it as a writer, he worked as a manager of social media at a startup tech company, toiled as a peon on the Disney lot at ABC Studios, did his time as an NBC page, and gave sleep deprivation a new meaning during his stint as an aide on a U.S. Senate campaign. Now he lives Los Angeles, where he scribbles tales of spaceships, wizards, ghouls, and most things old or bizarre." You can find Pierce Brown on Facebook and on Twitter.

The Passage - Justin Cronin

I usually listen to at least one audio book a week, either on the way back and forth to work or when I can't sleep. Last week found me up to date with audio review copies, so I went searching on my library's download site for something to listen to. Now, I had bought The Passage when it came out, but hadn't yet got around to reading it. (probably one of the last readers around who hasn't!)  But, I thought I would give the first few chapters of the audio version a try.

OH WOW! I am soooo hooked. It's a large tome - there are 29 chapters of roughly 70 minutes each and I'm just starting number 20, so this will be a partial review.

Why am I 'oh wowing'? Well, I love post apocalyptic fiction and Justin Cronin has woven an amazing, riveting tale.

A secret US government agency is experimenting at a hidden facility with a virus found in the jungle. They're experimenting on convicts and those that won't be missed. One of those is Amy, a six year old girl. Something goes dreadfully wrong and all hell breaks loose - literally. The experiment has spawned 'virals' - something akin to a vampire. Before the virals decimate the population, a group of healthy children are spirited away to a self contained colony for safe keeping.....and almost 100 years later, the descendants are still there - waiting for the military to come back. But it is someone else that shows up and shatters the calm - Amy is at the front gate.

Cronin's imagining of the direction a self contained, self ruling society would take was fascinating. The social hierarchy and the life they have carved out was brought to life with much detail. But, it is the cast of characters that jumped off the page - there are many, each with their own personalities, secrets and reasons. Cronin manipulates the reader/listener wonderfully - there are cliff hangers, mysteries, action and the ever present question of what is going to happen next. For Cronin keeps you on your toes - no character is safe and I honestly couldn't predict where the story was going to go. It reminded me of one of my fave books of all time - Stephen King's The Stand.

The Passage was read by one of the best narrators around- (and the deciding factor in choosing to listen to the rest of the book) - Scott Brick. He has the most wonderfully expressive reading voice, capturing the tension, the emotions and the feel of an author's words perfectly. He truly makes a book come 'alive'.

Gotta run - off to work and another chapter on the way. (And you can bet I'll be listening to the second book in this trilogy -  The Twelve -  as well!) Listen to an excerpt of The Passage. You can find Justin Cronin on Facebook and on Twitter.

The Testament of Jessie Lamb - Jane Rogers

I turned the last page of The Testament of Jessie Lamb a few days ago, but the book stayed with for quite awhile as I mulled it over. Jane Roger's novel is definitely thought provoking.

It is set in England sometime in the not too distant future and told from the perspective of sixteen year old Jessie. A virus - Maternal Death Syndrome, known as MDS has been unleashed. What does it do? It kills every woman who becomes pregnant, and the child is born infected as well. The virus will eventually kill off the human race. No one know who is responsible.

Jessie is just coming into adulthood, making choices about school, boys and her own beliefs. She joins many activist groups and supports other current causes - fuel consumption, eco-causes, animal rights, children's rights, feminist rights and ultimately the right to choose. But not choose as we know it. Instead, the choice is to become pregnant with a embryo frozen before the virus was unleashed. It is thought that these children will be born healthy. The scientists involved have decreed that young women will be the best incubators. They become known as Sleeping Beauties. And Jessie decides that this is the ultimate act for her. Her part - her dying - will help save the human race.

And this is where all the mulling came into play. Does Jessie have the right to choose death? How much of that choice is made for her with propaganda, peer pressure, societal pressure? Is she making the choice for purely selfish reasons? To show her parents she is grown up? Is she able to make such life altering decisions at what we consider to be a young age? What about a society that has accepted these Sleeping Beauties as part of their culture? And accepts these deaths as necessary. How much change can one individual make with their choices? I could go on and on - you can see why the book stayed with me. The Testament of Jessie Lamb would stimulate lots of discussion for book clubs.

.The first half of the book - Jessie's life and coming of age - rang true. The dialogue seemed to belong to a sixteen year old, as did the situations and attitudes. It was in the second half of the book that I felt Rogers lost me a bit. I just didn't buy into Jessie's reasoning for choosing to die. (But this is where all my questioning started!)

Those looking for dystopian fiction a la Hunger Games won't find it here. Rather, you'll find a book that make you think.

The Testament of Jessie Lamb was long listed for the Man Booker Prize. And is the 26th winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the most prestigious award for science fiction in Britain.

See what others on the TLC tour thought. Full schedule can be found here.

You can find Jane Rogers on Facebook.

Insurgent - Veronica Roth

In a continuing effort to indulge my secret passion for YA dystopian fiction, I happily picked up Insurgent - the second (and highly, highly anticipated) volume in Veronica Roth's trilogy.

I've had many patrons in the library looking for their next read after finishing the Hunger Games trilogy - and I have been heartily recommending the first book - Divergent.

Just to play catch up here's the premise of Divergent -  Chicago in some dystopian future. Society has divided itself into five factions: the honest, the selfless, the brave, the peaceful and the intelligent. On their birthday, sixteen year olds must pick the faction they will live with for the rest of their lives. It can be the one they were born into...or the one they feel they should belong to. One or the other, but not more than one. For most citizens, it's an easy choice. But for Beatrice, the choice is a difficult one - her test scores indicate she could easily belong to more than one faction - she is divergent and it's a dangerous thing to be.

We were left hanging at the end of Divergent, wondering what Tris and her faction would do now. Insurgent literally picks up from that last page. In fact, you really wouldn't want to read Insurgent without having read the first book - you would be lost as to who's who and what is going on.

That being said, I really had no idea where Roth was going to take her characters. She truly kept me guessing, entertaining me until the very last page. In the first book Roth did a fantastic job of world building - the future society she has envisioned was brought to life with lots of detail. (and was quite thought provoking actually) Many characters were introduced, but are explored further in Insurgent, now that the stage has been set. Tris herself must take the time to deal with her grief and try to understand her role in this uncertain world that is poised on the brink of great change.

And being a YA novel, of course there is the requisite love push/pull angst. Tris' relationship with Four (more commonly known as Tobias in this book) didn't capture me quite as much as it did in the first book. There's a few too many 'misreads' of actions and words. (But I have to remind myself - they are teens)

I mostly choose to listen to my YA fiction. Emma Galvin is the reader for this series and I don't think they could have chosen anyone better. Her voice is slightly gravelly and rough - exactly like I thought Tris would sound. She captures the action and emotions of the characters really well - her voice is quite expressive. In fact, Galvin won awards for her Divergent performance. See for yourself - listen to an excerpt of Insurgent.

Chaos, danger, friendship, betrayal, choices, loss, romance - Insurgent has it all. For great escapist, entertainment reading, the Divergent books are perfect. Be warned - there is a fair amount of violence. The last page of Insurgent ends in the same dramatic fashion as Divergent - with a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, book three is not due until Fall 2013...far too far away.....

You can find Veronica Roth on Twitter and on Facebook.

White Horse - Alex Adams

My secret passion is dystopian fiction. I usually indulge myself with young adult offerings, but the opening lines of Alex Adams' adult debut novel White Horse drew in and had me settled into my favourite reading nook (for a very long time)

"When I wake, the world is still gone. Only fragments remain. Pieces of places and people who were once whole."

I am always intrigued by what authors imagine our future might be.

Our protagonist is Zoe - a young widow who works as a cleaner at Pope Pharmaceuticals. Zoe's story is literally told in a Then and Now fashion. (which really worked for me)  We start at the beginning with a mysterious jar appearing in her apartment, then cut to Zoe already on the move, trying to get to what she believes will be a safe place. The narrative cuts back and forth, from people getting sick, sicker and the world we know slowly disintegrating to almost two years in the future as Zoe makes her way across a world hardly recognizable. Ninety percent of the population is wiped out, five percent are mutating in horrific ways and the remaining five percent seem to be immune. Zoe has no idea why she hasn't succumbed to the plague, named White Horse - a reference to one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.

White Horse was a very different read. I was horrified, yet mesmerized, repelled, yet drawn in by Adams' tale. She paints a brutal, raw picture with her prose. But those prose completely capture a world turned upside down. Fair warning to gentle readers - there are scenes and descriptions that may offend some.

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about Zoe.  She comes across as a very strong character, both physically and mentally and we know that she will survive. I applaud her efforts to try and hang on to her humanity and ideals in this new world. While I find her a strong lead character, I never felt fully engaged with her, despite cheering for her to beat the odds. I'll have a chance to bond with her in future books - this is the first in a planned trilogy. I want to see where Adams takes Zoe next - the last line in White Horse is a gotcha.

White Horse is a strong debut from a new author and was definitely an addicting read for me. A reading group guide is available. You can find Adams on Twitter and on Facebook.

Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

Resident teen blogger Ella is back to school after March Break, but she got in a lot of 'not school related' reading last week! Here's one of her picks....

"Pandemonium is the sequel to Delirium, a dystopian novel about a girl falling in illicit love with a hot guy who's of limits because the Man's iron, dictatorial fist and wacky rules are keeping them down. If this sounds familiar, you've either read Delirium or one of the multitude of other dystopian books with the same essential plot. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Delirium: the idea of treating love like a disease to be hated, feared and operated away is pretty cool. Still, I wasn't particularly blown away by it. When I picked up Pandemonium, I was expecting your typical middle-of-a-trilogy YA book: as good as or worse than the first one, mostly filler, love triangle, blah, blah, blah. I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself really liking it.

The book picks up really randomly, with Lena (the heroine) pretending to be a cured girl in a New York City school. The next chapter is a flashback to immediately after Delirium, with Lena joining the resistance in the Wilds, the unregulated country between the cities where people who oppose the cure have escaped to. The story continues like that, Lena's present with the past six months explained every other chapter. All lot of others have tried this in books I've been reading recently, but Oliver pulled it off really well. Amazing pacing and character development. I was really impressed with the way she dealt with the growth of Lena's character. In Delirium, she felt kind of average, but she gets really cool in Pandemonium. Grief can be a tough one to write in a dystopian YA book, but Lena's was flawless, as was her healing process. As she grows stronger, both physically and emotionally, it never stopped being believable. There's a new male protagonist, Julian, and her feelings for him were spot on, as was her loyalty and love for Alex, her first love, who is presumed dead. He's on the enemy's side, but their relationship never enters the irritating realm of star-crossed-lover cliches. My favourite part, though, was that Lena gets tough. She's strong physically, but more than that she's self-contained, independent. She can think for and take care of herself, but knows when to accept help. A lot of heroines try for this, but don't quite meet the mark. Yay Lena!

The requisite shocking-twist-ending/hook-to-leave-you-with-bated-breath was predictable, but shocking enough to Lena that I gasped along with her. All in all, a solid read.

I would definitely suggest it to any dystopian fan! I think you could probably read it as a stand alone, but reading Delirium first might be a good idea. Nice job Lauren Oliver!"

And nice job to you too Ella! I always enjoy your refreshing take on books.

Read an excerpt of Pandemonium. You can find Lauren Oliver on Facebook and on Twitter and at her blog.

Divergent - Veronica Roth

Filming has wrapped up on the movie version of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games. This fan of YA Dystopia will be waiting to see how it compares to the book.

And there have been a lot of books in the last year being touted as the next thing to read if you've finished Collins' books. Or comparing themselves to The Hunger Games. And sadly many have fallen short. But not so in the case of Divergent by Veronica Roth - it hits the mark.

Chicago in some dystopian future. Society has divided itself into five factions: the honest, the selfless, the brave, the peaceful and the intelligent. On their birthday, sixteen year olds must pick the faction they will live with for the rest of their lives. It can be the one they were born into...or the one they feel they should belong too. One or the other, but not more than one. For most citizens, it's an easy choice. But for Beatrice, the choice is a difficult one - her test scores indicate she could easily belong to more than one faction - she is divergent and it's a dangerous thing to be.

Beatrice, now calling herself Tris, makes her unexpected choice. As she struggles to fit into her faction, she starts seeing cracks in her society's heretofore seemingly perfect world. And there are others who see it too....

Chaos, danger, friendship, betrayal, choices, loss, romance - Divergent has it all. Yes, some of it is somewhat cliched, but it's YA fiction, not a great literary work. For great escapist, entertainment reading, Divergent is perfect. Be warned - there is a fair amount of violence.

I actually listened to this one in audio format. The reader, Emma Galvin, did a great job, Her voice is slightly gravelly and rough - exactly like I thought Tris would sound. She captures the male voices equally well.

Divergent is the first in a trilogy, with the second book - Insurgent- scheduled for May 2012. I'm hooked.

Read an excerpt of Divergent. Or, listen to an excerpt of Divergent. Keep up with Veronica on her blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Robopocalypse - Daniel. H. Wilson- Review AND Giveaway

I'm wondering if my computer's camera is watching me as I type this review.....No I haven't lost my marbles. That's the premise of Daniel H. Wilson's debut novel Robopocalypse.

The computers, machines and robotics that humans have built, developed and embraced as part of our everyday lives have turned the tables....Slowly but surely, they've evolved...and learned to think for themselves. And us? Well, we're now expendable. Zero Hour is scheduled.

I freakin' loved this book! It totally fed my passion for dystopian, apocalyptic fiction. There are no deep themes to discuss at book club (but you will be talking about it) and it won't be immortalized as great literature. But, boy oh boy was it was an action packed thrill ride of a read.

Wilson utilizes a very unique and creative format to tell the story of the War between humankind and machines. We meet Cormac "Bright Boy" Wallace in the opening chapter. He has survived the war so far and makes a startling discovery. "This is the goddamn black box on the whole war." Utilizing the data found on the cube with back up from other electronic and human sources, we start at the beginning of the end and works backwards. At first I thought, no, I know the outcome already, but it works. Every chapter introduces us to more players in this planet encompassing apocalypse. Each is completely different and their actions and lives intersect in ways they couldn't have imagined. Cormac's commentary opens and closes each chapter tying it to the next. The foreshadowing at the end of many chapters kept me up turning pages far into the night. 

For sheer entertainment this summer, Robopocalypse simply can't be beat. And in the near future, you'll be able to catch the movie version - Spielberg will be directing.

Who would like this book? Those who enjoyed the movies The Book of Eli, The Road, Terminator, the television show The Walking Dead and the books The Stand, The Road and I Am Legend. Vehicles that celebrate the triumph of human spirit.

Read an excerpt of Robopocalypse. You can find Daniel H. Wilson on Twitter and Robopocalypse on Face book.

AND thanks to Doubleday Publishing Canada, I have one copy of Robopocalypse to giveaway. Canada only, ends Sunday July 31 at 6 pm EST. Simply comment to be entered.

Daniel H. Wilson has a Ph.D in robotics. Maybe it's not so far fetched an idea. Do you know what destination your GPS has programmed for you?

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

Continuing to feed my fascination with YA dystopian fiction, I picked up Lauren Oliver's latest book Delirium - the first in a planned trilogy.

Lena Holoway is happily counting down the days to her 18th birthday. Happy, because she will then undergo the government ordered procedure to be cured and therefore safe. Safe from....love. Because in her world, love is a disease that causes delirium.  And without this disease, your life will be safe,  predictable, and happy. Lena will then be paired with a suitable candidate and married when she finishes the schooling chosen for her.

And, all is going to plan, until she meets Alex. Alex is 19...and he is an 'invalid'. Invalids are those who have not had the cure and live outside the electrifed fences of the cities in The Wilds. Alex is living inside the fence, pretending to be a citizen of the city.  And, yep you guessed it...Lena and Alex fall in love.

I'll leave you to imagine where the tale heads next.  Delirium lacks the excitement and tenseness of  The Hunger Games, but has more action than Matched. The story borrows from Shakespeare to a certain degree. I'm not thrilled with the ending, but as always, I just can't wait to see what's out there in The Wilds.


For those who enjoy this genre - a must. Read an excerpt of Delirium. Or listen to an excerpt.

The Water Wars - Cameron Stracher

I have this addiction to young adult dystopian fiction lately. I've been listening to them in audio format, but read Cameron Stracher's debut YA novel - The Water Wars. Kudos to the publisher - this was a great cover..

Vera and her brother Will live with their family sometime in the future. North America has had the borders redrawn. There are eight republics in what used to be the US and the evil Empire of Canada to the north. What this world lacks is clean drinking water. Indeed, the hopsital will not treat you if you drink tap water - it is considered a self inflicted injury. When Vera meets Kai he is standing in the middle of the road upending a cup of clean water. She is shocked but intrigued. How could he possibly waste water? They become friends, bordering on the romantic. When Kai and his father disappear, Vera and Will set out to find and rescue them.

Along the way they encounter water pirates, good guys, bad guys, get wounded, keep going and save their world.

I almost felt like Stracher had laid out plot ideas on a whiteboard and connected the dots as he wrote.  The characters were never really developed. I found it hard to believe the siblings would run off after someone they barely knew, leaving their sick mother behind. The relationship between Kai and Vera is never developed enough to believe she would chase after him. Their budding romance needed fleshing out. Some of the situations they landed in defied plausibility. The King of the water pirates was an excellent character, one that was fleshed out and that I did really enjoy.

Stracher has chosen a current and very possible reality for his novel. The idea of a world without clean water is a distinct reality. This novel would prompt discussion of water conservation.


Now, maybe it's just that I don't read and review a lot of YA or that I am looking for a more adult novel in the wrong place. Maybe it's because I listened to The Hunger Games and Matched and found they came alive when narrated. But...The Water Wars just didn't live up to my expectations. The cover blurb "A rousing adventure story in the tradition of The Hunger Games" just didn't deliver. I am sure that a younger reader would find the non stop action appealing.

The Reapers Are The Angels - Alden Bell

Oh boy! I stayed up way too late last night - I literally could not put down The Reapers Are The Angels by Alden Bell. I have a fondness for post-apocalyptic novels and this one grabbed and wouldn't let go of me 'til the last page.

Sometime in the future, zombies have stumbled about the land for over twenty five years, eating whatever humans they can catch. Temple has been born into this world and knows no other. She remembers living with an old man and a boy who might have been her brother. Now fifteen and with heartache and tragedy her constant companions, she travels what is left of the world that was, seeking something. Her chance encounter with a man named Maury could be her salvation - although she doesn't recognize it as such. And an encounter with a man named Moses could be her downfall.

Reapers was such a great read on so many levels. The uncertainty of what Bell would come up with next in this world and what Temple would encounter had me holding my breath and frantically turning pages. Temple as a character was fascinating. Old beyond her years, born into a world with no compass, she has her own sense of morality and direction. The conversations she has with those she meets in her travels and herself are quite philosophical.

"See it's a daily chore tryin to do the right thing. Not because the right thing is hard to do - it ain't. It's just cause the right thing - well, the right thing's got a way of eluding you. You give me a compass that tells good from bad, and boy I'll be a soldier of the righteous truth. But them two things are a slippery business and tellin then apart might as well be a blind man's guess. And sometimes, you just get tired of pokin at the issue. Those are the times you just do something because you're tired of thinkin on it. And that's when the devil better get his pencil ready to tally up a score, cause the time for nuances is gone. And you think, that's it for me on this world. You think, all right then hell is my home."

The setting is mostly in the Southern states and has a distinct Southern gothic tone. In the cover blurb, author Michael Gruber compared it to Flannery OConnor's style - an apt description. Athough the book has zombies, they are more of a supporting platform than a main focus. How they came to be is never explained. Granted, there is a fair amount of violence and blood spilled, so be warned. But it is Temple and her personal journey that captivated me.

An excellent read for me - definitely 5 stars. This novel would appeal to those who enjoyed Cormac McCarthy's The Road or Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. I can see this being made into a movie as well.

Read an excerpt of The Reapers Are The Angels.

(interesting sidenote - the title seems to be taken from the Bible - Matthew, Chapter 13, verse 39 King James version)  "The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels."