Veronica Roth's ALLEGIANT, an Action-Packed Conclusion to the Most Anticipated Finale of the Year

Everyone I know who reads YA has been anticipating this one. When DIVERGENT first came out, I remember telling students that I liked it better than HUNGER GAMES, and that's saying a lot. If you haven't read DIVERGENT, you need to just go do that right now. The rest of you, keep on reading.

Here's your quickie synopsis - The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered--fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready.

Many, many secrets are revealed in this finale. We learn the story behind the creation of the factions, how Tris and her family are involved, as well as what is beyond the walls of the city. The "why" of the factions is the biggest discovery of the book. I think the seed there is enough to begin a whole new book. But anyway, it creates some tension between Tris and Four. They all must continue to make difficult choices, as the uprisings from the second book continue.

Overall, I do believe it's a worthy ending to the series. But, I'm still digesting the ending. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. The writing is wonderful, and the action kept me turning the pages. The best part about reading the finale in a popular series is talking about it with others. So, I'm off to do that now. (And to anticipate the DIVERGENT movie, of course.)

Enjoy this interview with Veronica Roth about the writing of ALLEGIANT, as well as a few tidbits about the movie!

P.J. Hoover. SOLSTICE

I was familiar with PJ Hoover, because she's from a city close to me, Austin, Texas. But I hadn't read any of her books, until now.

Your quickie synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Piper lives with her controlling mother amid a Global Heating Crisis, but when she gets her first taste of freedom she discovers a universe of gods and monsters where her true identity, kept secret from her birth, could make all the difference in the world.

So, as you can see, SOLSTICE begins as a dystopian book along the lines of ASHFALL and LIFE AS WE KNEW IT where the major problem is weather and/or planet disruption. A Global Heating Crisis has set in and causes temperatures to hover over 100.

Piper's mother has been super controlling all of her life. She hardly lets her out of her sight, except for school. So when her mom goes out of town for several days and leaves Piper alone on her own, Piper is intrigued, but excited. She ends up spending time with two different guys she just met, which is totally unlike her. But she's attracted to both of them for different reasons. One of them introduces her to a whole new world, the Underworld. He's a god. A Greek god. Piper realizes what her mom's been hiding from her.

What I enjoyed:
At first, I was a little confused by the mythology, because I thought I was reading a dystopian (I didn't read the book jacket - I like surprises). But as I kept reading, the story became richer and more intriguing. The characters were cleverly chosen and the setting was fascinating. Watching the way the gods inserted themselves into the human world to get what they want in their world was fun. I really enjoyed spending time in this world. I was sad to see it end. I'm hoping for a sequel!

Highly recommended for fans of Greek mythology!

C. K. Kelly Martin. YESTERDAY

In 2063, Freya and her mother are captured and taken away. When she wakes up, she doesn't remember anything and....it's 1985. This is weird for us, but not for Freya, because she doesn't remember anything, at first. But she slowly begins to feel like she doesn't belong. She begins having nagging feelings that she can't explain. She even runs into a guy that she feels she's met before, although he doesn't remember her. The circumstances around her father's death are also sketchy. She begins investigating the few details she has about his death and her past.

This is an ambitious book. The author takes on time travel, dystopia, global warming, ESP, the 80's, as well as robots. For the most part she succeeds. I began to care about the characters, and that usually is the saving grace for me. If I can't care about the characters, then it's downhill with no going back on my part.

I enjoyed the time spent in 1985, but I felt the author was a little heavy handed with the 80's details. Maybe it was because I recognized them and felt they were gratuitous  Maybe I wouldn't have noticed it so much if it had been a time period I wasn't familiar with? I don't know. I'll be interested to see if other readers felt that way too.

One other aspect that I want to comment on was the chapter long exposition that took place in the middle of the book. It couldn't be helped. But it was still jarring. Since the main character left 2063 so quickly at the beginning of the book for the mystery to begin, the reader didn't know anything about her world. So, this forced the author to tell us all about it in the middle of the book. I'm not sure she had any other way to go about this large task. Nevertheless, it interrupted the flow of the book.

There were many other aspects that I did enjoy. Again, I loved the two main characters, and the relationship they formed. I liked the way the clues seeped into Freya's life in interesting ways to help her figure out the mystery. Finally, I was intrigued by the future society that Freya lived in. I was interested enough to want to read more about that, even if I was troubled by the premise of how the society ended up the way it did.

If you're intrigued by the idea of someone being thrown into the past, without any clear idea why, you'll love this. Read more about the book and the author at her nifty website below:

Kat Zhang. WHAT'S LEFT OF ME

"I shouldn't exist, but I do."

With a tag line like that, how could I resist picking this one up?

Addie and Eva live in a world were two souls are born into one body. Typically, by the age of ten or so, one of the souls becomes dominant, while the other fades away. It's called "settling." If a person doesn't "settle" then both souls remain and you're called a hybrid. It's evil and dangerous to be a hybrid in this society, for some unspecified reasons.

Addie and Eva are one of these hybrids. But they hide it from everyone, including their parents. Addie is known as the dominant soul. Eva remains a secret to everyone except, of course, Addie. Addie meets two other hybrids and is unable to keep the secret any longer. After some suspicious behavior  doctors from the government come and take all three of them away to a hospital to "cure" them.

I liked the book. It became suspenseful throughout the second half. This is an intriguing idea and brings up a lot of ethical questions, especially when you find out what is going on in the hospital. If you like dystopians, you'll enjoy this.

It's called THE HYBRID CHRONICLES, so expect a few more. I'm guessing it will be a trilogy, like all YA books nowadays. ;) Check out the awesome trailer!

Alexandra Bracken. THE DARKEST MINDS

Ruby was taken away from her parents at ten-years-old and brought to a "reform camp" with hundreds of other kids with special abilities. A sickness has killed of most of the children in America, and those who escaped the sickness are left with something scarier than death. They have abilities they cannot control. Adults are so frightened that they round up all the kids they can and lock them in these reform camps.

What about the parents? Many are scared enough of their own children that they gladly give them to the government. Others try to hide them or go on the run. Some even form resistance leagues to try to save the children.

When Ruby turns sixteen, someone from the rescue league rescues her from the camp, but no one can rescue her previous "normal" existence. She thought leaving the camp would be the answer to her prayers, but life outside the camp and the choices she must make are even more frightening.

Wow! This is one of the best books I've read in a while! It grabs you from the first page and does NOT let go until the very last sentence! Then, it leaves you with deep longing for the next installment!

Check out the killer trailer! How can you watch this & want the book immediately!?

Neal Shusterman. UNWHOLLY

“Does a sick society get so used to its illness that it can’t remember being well? What if the memory is too dangerous for the people who like things the way they are?”

UNWHOLLY is the sequel to the remarkably original UNWIND by Neal Shusterman. If you haven't read it yet, you really need to get on that! He's a wonderful writer and this is really one of the more unique dystopians out there today. By the way, I also love Shusterman's THE SCHWA WAS HERE and its sequel. Very different from UNWIND, but quite clever and enjoyable.

Now back to UNWHOLLY. This installment of the trilogy continues with the characters we love (Connor, Lev and Risa), but also introduces new characters. Shusterman has explored even more ways that unwinding would affect teens and adult.

Starkey is a stork AWOL, and he champions the cause for all storks. Nelson is a parts pirate making a living in a unimaginable way. Cam is completely new person who makes people question the very definition of what it is to be human. Risa is dealing with the decision not to have a new spinal cord transplant. Connor, as the leader of the airplane graveyard, has grown but also has a new set of frustrations and challenges.

If you loved UNWIND, you will devour this one too. With the additional characters and deeper plot development, Shusterman has written one of the best dystopian trilogies out there!

Check out the creepy trailer!

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Neal Shusterman. UNSTRUNG

"'And why? Because of words? Words don't hurt you.' Which is one of the hugest criminal lies perpetrated by adults against children in this world. Because words hurt more than any physical pain."

If you are as excited as I am about UNWHOLLY coming out in a few weeks, check out UNSTRUNG to tide you over. It includes a short story and the first few chapters of the sequel.

The story begins with Lev waking up injured in an Indian/Native American Reservation. Somehow he was able to scale the wall and end up there while running from the cops. The People of Chance (as they are called, neither Indian nor Native American seem to fit properly) don't allow unwinding. Since they are independent from the rest of the nation, unwinds are safe within their boundaries.

As the author explains here, this is the story of what happens to Lev between his time with CyFi and when he ends up at the graveyard. Even though Lev is the main character, this story also focuses on Wil and his family. It's just as heart-wrenching and moving as UNWIND. It's amazing how Shusterman can make such a short story so unforgettable. 

As mentioned earlier, you are also treated to a few chapters of UNWHOLLY and a new character named Starkey. The character of Starkey further elaborates on one of the societal repercussions of  the unwind program - storks. Starkey was a storked child and the fact that he wasn't wanted completely changes the course of his life (illustrated by the quote at the top of the page). Inevitably, his parents sign an unwind order for him.  But with Connor the Akron AWOL as his example, he escapes the juvie cops and goes on the run.

This short story is available in ebook format only from various online sources. It will definitely get you ready to dive into UNWHOLLY when it comes out at the end of the month.

I've noticed several authors releasing these short stories a month or so out from highly anticipated sequel releases. I really like it! I especially enjoy when it gives you insight to additional characters or simply more about the universe of the story.

Visit Neal Shusterman's website for more about his books AND be sure to click on the link about the UNWIND movie!

Veronica Roth. INSURGENT

The sequel to DIVERGENT does not disappoint. It's action packed, emotional and a wild ride!

We pick up right where DIVERGENT left off at the end of the simulation where Erudite used Abnegation to go on killing sprees. Abnegation is left in ruins. People are choosing sides. Others are declaring that the whole faction system is unsustainable. Most people are going against Erudite in one way or another. But when Tris begins learning about deep secrets at the highest level, she must decide how much she wants to risk to discover the truth - and who she may have to betray to get there.

Choices seem to be around every corner for Tris and each one one has devastating consequences. She also struggles with the anachronism between her own behavior, which she considers unforgivable, and being a good person. She doesn't feel she deserves the love Tobias is willing to give her. Will she be able to move past killing Will? Does she deserve forgiveness even when people are willing to give it to her?

Many people I know were anxiously awaiting this sequel, and I'm happy to say that it definitely lives up to our expectations! The author has further developed the world and the characters. You will be much more invested in the series after reading this installment. The ending will excite you and frustrate you because you'll want the next book already. I LOVE this series!!

Check out the super cool trailer:


For more on Veronica Roth go here.
She's on Twitter here.

Neal Shusterman. UNWIND.

I've been hearing about UNWIND for several years. But after hearing Neal Shusterman talk about it on a dystopian panel at TLA this year, I told myself that I would finally read it. I now understand what all the hype was about.

UNWIND is set some years in the future after a second civil war, called the Heartland War, has taken place. The war was fought on one single issue. Abortion.

Peace was only negotiated after a compromise called the "Bill of Life" was created. It was designed to satisfy both the pro-choice and pro-life sides of the war.

No one would be allowed to have an abortion at all. But, when a child reaches the age of thirteen, parents have an option to retroactively "abort" their child. This is called unwinding. When a parent decides to have their child unwound, the decision is final. No appeals. No arguments. It's done.

According to the law, when the decision is made, the child goes to a harvest camp where all of their parts must be saved - 100%. These parts are then used to help others when needed for accidents, disease or any other reason. So, the argument is that this is different from abortion because the child isn't really dying. When a person is unwound, they are still living, but in many different forms and helping other people in the process.

Our main characters Connor, Risa and Lev have all been sentenced to be unwound for various reasons. Connor is a smart kid, but has gotten into a lot of trouble. So his parents decided they'd had enough of him. Risa was an orphan living in the state home and due to budget cuts, they decided they couldn't afford her anymore. Lev was his parent's tenth child and is being unwound as a tithe.

They escape on the way to the harvest camp and discover an underground railroad for other Unwinds. If a teen makes it to eighteen, then they can no longer be unwound. So the goal is to stay hidden until that time.

Yes, the premise seems far-fetched at first, simply because the mere suggestion that a parent could ever want to "be rid of" their child is foreign to most of us. (not to mention heartbreaking) But you see how the society in the book got to this point. It's ridiculous, of course, but that's part of why the book is so relevant today. It's a cautionary tale, for sure.

Shusterman is a brilliant author. These characters are fully formed and alive. The story is fleshed out beautifully. I even appreciated how unique the airplane setting is for a major section of the book. I love the smart conversations among the teens. There was a creepy, devastatingly sad part near the end that I don't want to spoil here, but wow! You definitely will feel a huge range of emotions reading this. You certainly won't ever forget it.

This would make a phenomenal movie! Of course, every time I say that, I find out that a movie is in development, already. And...it's true this time too.
However, the trailer below is not from the forthcoming movie. It's a fan-made book trailer. There are  many, but I picked this one because of the creepy feeling it gives you. Enjoy!

***UPDATE*** Yay, this was good timing! I see there's a sequel due out August 28th! I had no idea it's actually going to be a trilogy. Supercool! Book cover below:

Robison Wells. FEEDBACK

It's the sequel to VARIANT, yay! I snagged an advance copy at the Texas Library Association conference, and I got it autographed. So that was super cool!

If you read Variant, you know that it ended with quite a shocking cliff-hanger. If you did not read Variant, please avert your eyes now! Otherwise, you will be spoiled. You've been warned.

If you remember when we left Benson, he had just escaped with Becky from Maxfield Academy. Shortly thereafter, he came across a little town outside the gate where he saw Jane. You know, the Jane who had been previously discovered to be a robot when they killed her inside of the school.

In FEEDBACK, we learn why Jane is in the town. We also see many more people from the school in the town. There is a much bigger, scarier scenario going on then Benson could've imagined. But the Benson we all know and love comes up with a plan.

This sequel is just as exciting as the first book. The plot thickens. Benson is put to the test over and over again. His dogged determination seems to make him stronger and stronger with each challenge. I enjoyed seeing his relationship with Becky blossom. Again, the action gets exciting near the end and we're left with another cliff-hanger! The last half of the book had me flipping pages at lightning speed. I can't wait to see what more people thing of the ending!

FEEDBACK is due out in October. Mark your calendars. And if you haven't read VARIANT yet, get on it!

Check out Robison Wells at his website.

Lauren DeStefano. WITHER

Rhine and her twin brother are orphans because their parents were killed in a bombing at their medical facilities. They were working on a cure for the disease that has infected the human race. Females die at the age of 20, while males die at the age of 25.

The virus has caused a trend of kidnapping young girls and selling them to polygamous men who are anxious to bear offspring before they die. The men want to carry on the future generations, in hopes for a cure. For many of the girls, who are orphans living on the street, it's a better life for them.

But for Rhine, it's not a better life. Even though the life that her and her brother lead is tough, she is free. Unfortunately, she is tricked into answering an ad for a job and gets kidnapped. She's snatched with a group of other girls to a secret location. Three of the girls end up at a mansion where they are set up to become brides of Linden Ashby. His current bride is 20 and ill, so Linden's father is getting back ups for him.

Rhine realizes that she will be trapped there for the rest of her life, if she doesn't find a way to escape. The other two girls don't seem bothered by it. They even seemed enamored with the glitzy life they will lead at the mansion. However, Rhine is determined to escape and find her brother. She doesn't care about the money, the parties, and the fancy clothes. She just wants her freedom.

Authors are getting very creative with dystopians. I thought I'd heard it all, yet this book is very original. The idea that we could eventually genetically alter humans is intriguing. Furthermore, positing that doing so could have a greater negative impact is certainly plausible to me.

This book is well written. The inner conflict that Rhine feels is realistic and honest. The other characters are believable. The variety of reactions to being kidnapped and forced to marry are portrayed well in the other two girls. The are mysteries to uncover, as well as puzzles to solve. I loved it! I'm anxious to read the next book in the trilogy. It's called FEVER.

From what I can tell, this is Lauren DeStefano's first book. We've had a lot of great first books recently! There is a great new crop of authors out there today. Certainly, DeStefano is one to watch.

Check out the author's website here, and the website for the trilogy here.

Marie Lu. LEGEND

Here is another one for those of you who love dystopians. It's action packed and has two strong, well written main characters.

The United States is broken up into an area called the Republic of America. It's not clear which states are included, although some that are mentioned specifically are California, Colorado, Arizona and West Texas. The Republic is fighting against Colonies such as East Texas and a few other areas not specifically mentioned. The Republic claims that the colonies are trying to take their land. It's unclear whether this is the case, because the republic doesn't feel trustworthy.

Day failed his trial, which is a test all 10-year-olds take to determine if you go to college or to the labor camps. He escaped the labor camp and pretended to be dead. Now he scavenges in the poor sectors to stay alive. He also commits crimes in order to help people. He's become sort of a hero for the poor.

June grew up in the polar opposite situation. She scored a perfect 1500 on her trial test. Now she's just been recruited from the best military school in the republic to work for one of the top commanders.

When June is ordered to hunt Day, she relishes the chance, since he killed someone she loved. She goes underground to track him down in the poor sector. But the poor sector ends up revealing more to her than she is prepared to deal with. She begins to uncover information about the Republic and begins to question everything she's been taught. Will enemies Day and June end up on the same side of the war?

For some reason, out of all the dystopians I've read, this one seems much more likely to be the future we could actually have, if we aren't careful. The way history is re-written in LEGEND and the way crucial information is hidden is eerily too much like some things I see going on today. Currently, we have free access to information. But when I hear about the government wanting to regulate the Internet and wanting to shut down radio shows, that's when I worry. This book shows exactly what happens when information isn't free. It's not pretty.

Anyway, the book is action packed. The stunts of bravery are thrilling. The other chilling elements of this dystopian world include plagues, horrifying poverty, lack of electricity and lack medical care (unless you can bribe someone).

I loved the two main characters. They are beautifully written. Lu does a brilliant job of showing how both Day and June are dealing with difficult situations. They are strong, honorable people. It's exciting how June is equally as strong and smart as Day. They make an invincible team.  I hope we have sequels. I'm not ready to leave this universe for good. (Odds are in our favor, since the book's website is called "Legendtheseries")

Check out the trailer below, the book's website here and the author's website here. 

Robison Wells. VARIANT

Benson Fisher has been tossed around for years from foster home to foster home. He’s never stayed anywhere long enough to make friends. He longs to go to a good school. So, when he’s accepted to Maxfield Academy on a scholarship for orphans, he’s thrilled. He thinks he’ll finally get the education he wants. Since it’s a boarding school, he’ll be able to settle in and make friends.

When he arrives at Maxfield, he realizes that it’s not exactly as the brochure promised. Right after the driver drops him off, the strangeness begins. Two of the students run out of the school and chase the car out to the gate. Later he learns that the two students were punished for running after the car. Then his orientation is lead by a student close to his own age, named Becky. You can imagine his surprise when Becky explains to him that all the classes are taught by students. In fact, the whole place is run by students. There are no adults in the building at all. But that doesn't mean they get the run of the place. Cameras are everywhere. Rule-breaking is still punished.

Benson asks to leave, but it’s too late. He isn’t allowed to leave. All the other students explain to him that no one ever escapes, and if they try, they die. Parents and family members aren’t an issue, since all of the kids are orphans and have no one to come looking for them. It gets worse as Benson realizes that he seems to be the only one who cares about escaping. But if his choice is attempting to escape and possibly dying or staying in the prison-like school, Benson feels he has no choice but to try.

What a chilling, marvelous ride! Every time I put this book down, I couldn’t wait to get back to it. Literally you’ll want to read this in one sitting. The suspense builds slowly throughout each page until the end where you will be SHOCKED!

Benson is a great character, and you'll definitely root for him. The surrounding characters are surprising, but curious. You'll wonder about them. The action is well paced and exciting.

Check out the author here. This is is first YA book.

Elizabeth Scott. AS I WAKE

I've read almost all of Elizabeth Scott's books, and lately I've noticed she's branching off into some unusual territory. (Check out my other reviews here.) This one reminds me of GRACE, because it's so inventive.

Ava wakes up with no memory of who she is, where she is, or anything about her past. Her "mom" tells her that she was in an accident and has lost her memory. But when Ava goes to sleep, she dreams of another place - a place that seems more real that where she is now. After she is re-acquainted with her "friends," she begins dreaming of them in this other world. She wakes up in one place, then wakes up in another. Which world is real? Who is the real Ava? And why does she have this heavy sense of fear while everyone else seems so carefree. The mystery really gets complicated when a boy called Morgan finds her one day and tells her that he knew they would find each other again.

This is one of those books that brings up way more questions than it answers. I'm not saying that the plot isn't resolved, because it is for the most part. But I'm saying that all these other questions come up while exploring this plot.
For example, what if there are multiple worlds and therefore multiple people exactly like us in these worlds. I begin to wonder things like...

• Would you have different personalities in other worlds?
• How would you survive in different worlds, within different societal challenges?
• Would you be drawn to he same people? 
• Would you love the same?
• Would your ambitions and desires be the same?
• and the mother of all questions - Would your fate be the same? Would you die in the same manner, at the same age?

Anyway, Elizabeth Scott continues to impress! The book is a combination thriller, science fiction, and love story all at once, believe it or not! Click below to read a little about the story behind the story and this idea of modal realism from her website:

Elizabeth Scott via kwout

Veronica Roth. DIVERGENT

Wow! I love being blown away by an intriguing, well-written book! At first, this will seems similar to HUNGER GAMES, but it turns our to be very much its own thrilling tale.

In a futuristic dystopian Chicago, the society is divided up into five factions. Each society is founded on a particular virtue - Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Candor (honesty), Amity (kindness), Erudite (knowledge). At sixteen, teens must choose which faction to align with. First, they take an aptitude test to see which faction they most belong in, then they can decide to follow those results or choose another faction. If they leave their home faction, they never see their family again.

Beatrice Prior gets some unusual results at her aptitude test. The test proctor tells her that her results are inconclusive - that she is part Abnegation, part Dauntless, but really neither. The proctor whispers that she is "Divergent," and she should not tell anyone. It's dangerous. So the proctor deletes the results and enters the results manually as "Abnegation." Beatrice tries to get more information, but she's shushed out of the room and told to be very careful.

After much thought and boredom with her home faction of Abnegation, Beatrice decides to leave Abnegation. She has never really felt like she belonged in her home faction. The strict selflessness, which includes bland food, bland clothing, and lack of excitement, has driven her to the wild looking Dauntless faction. She has watched the kids from Dauntless as they laughingly jump on and off moving trains. Even if their life seems foolish, constantly displaying wild acts of courage, it has an excitement that she craves.

The new recruits to Dauntless must undergo a stringent initiation process. It's brutal and forces Beatrice to face fears she didn't even know she had. Plus, the recruits are in competition with each other, which brings out the cruelty in people. Beatrice must fight others and compete with herself to get through initiation to become a full Dauntless faction member.

This is thrilling, suspenseful, gritty, and thoughtful. It's a roller coaster ride, and I was so sad for it to end! The writing is impeccable. The characters are amazing! You will NOT be able to put it down.

I'm thrilled to hear that it has a sequel. It's going to be a trilogy. In fact, the cover for the sequel was just revealed. Check it out:

And you probably don't need more convincing, but just in case, check out the trailer below:

Suzanne Collins. MOCKINGJAY

I'm so sad it's over. Suzanne Collins is a brilliant writer. It's a large task on its own to create such a detailed fictional world, but to also create such a suspenseful, intelligent, action packed plot as well is genius. It's unforgettable, for sure.

Katniss and Peeta have survived through another game. But the ending was even more rebellious than the first and Katniss has a big surprise for her at the end. She's been rescued by the rebels to be their leader. Will she be the Mockinjay for real, as their symbol for the revolution? Does she really have much choice?

To make things more complicated, Peeta was rescued too, but by the other side. The Capitol has him. Katniss feels it's her fault because of how they were separated in the arena. She knows he's being tortured and it's all because of her. More blood on her hands.

She agrees to help the rebels, but with hope that she can save Peeta and the other remaining victors. Whether or not she can save herself is questionable. But she isn't sure she even cares anymore.

A perfect ending to an intriguing, horrifying, incredible trilogy! You must read it! I warn you that you'll want to have all three on hand. Once you begin, you won't want to stop until the end.

Of course, the trailer:

Suzanne Collins. CATCHING FIRE

After winning the Hunger Games in book one, Katniss and Peeta continue their facade of being in love. The realize that they're on thin ice because of the rebellious way they won. They continue to play the game as they travel among the districts in their victory tour. But they begin to notice little signss of unrest among the districts. And when a man gets killed because he displayed a small sign support for them, Katniss realizes that there is much more going on then she realizes.

Finally, she realizes the effect that their little stunt in the games had when the ultimate punishment is announced. The 75th anniversary of the games, called the Quarter Quell, is a special games. It calls for something unique to happen. Katniss and Peeta must compete again. The President declares that this is to symbolize that the Capitol has power over even the strongest in the districts.

This is just as suspenseful as the first book and leaves even more questions unanswered! You won't be disappointed! I don't think I can move onto another book until I've finished this trilogy!

This post wouldn't be complete without a trailer!

Suzanne Collins. THE HUNGER GAMES

I know, I know...I'm the last person on the planet to finally read THE HUNGER GAMES. Here's the deal. I ordered it for the middle school library I was at when it came out. I planned to read it, since I loved GREGOR and this new book by Collins was already receiving so much buzz in Libraryland. I even began reading it. But the whole idea of fighting to the death just turned me off. Frankly, it didn't appeal to me at all. And there are so many more books to read, that I just declined.

Since then, I've heard so many people rave about it and now it's even becoming a movie. Alas, I finally read it. And yes, it's as good as everyone says. I couldn't put it down. It kept me up at night.

For those few left who haven't read it. Here's the summary:
The setting is sometime in the future and all that's left of North America is a country called Panem. There are 12 Districts and a central district called the Capitol. Years before, the districts rebelled against the Capitol, so now to be continually punished, each district has to give up one boy and one girl to compete in the Hunger Games. The two children are chosen randomly through a drawing, called the reaping. The game itself is brutal. The contestants are put in this arena to fight to the death. The winner is then given a life of luxury and fame for the remainder of their life.

The characters and action are what made the book so appealing. Katniss is the female character. Her younger sister's name is pulled at the reaping, but she volunteers to go in her place. Peeta, the boy who is chosen, has an interesting connection to Katniss. Through the story, we learn more about Katniss's past with her hunting partner, how the death of her father transformed her life and how she may actually have the skills to win the game.

The action wasn't as gruesome as you might imagine. Although the fact the the entire world is watching the games is a little disconcerting, even more so since it's mandatory to watch. Sadly, there are elements of our current society that make the idea of watching this as entertainment not so far-fetched. What I really appreciated was the hunting and survival skills that Katniss needed to use. It reminds you of how important those skills really are when you're in life or death situations. But there were also a lot of mind games, so it was really fascinating.

Overall, it's though-provoking, moving, sad and action-packed!

If you haven't read it yet, it really is a book you won't soon forget. Now I'm really excited about the movie!

Here's a pretty cool fan-made trailer I found.

Elizabeth Scott. GRACE

Holy Spicoli! Has it really been a month since I’ve blogged?! Yowza! I have been busy – with my cross country move and all, but jeez. I can’t let this happen again.

On to the ARC of one of my favorite authors! Elizabeth Scott is one of those authors where I just open her book and read. I don’t read anything on the cover or any summaries.  I just read knowing I’ll enjoy it.

 I really didn’t know what I was getting in for this time.  If it was any other author, I may not have wanted to read about this world. It’s set in a near future where a brutal leader named Keran Berj has taken over and kills in the name of freedom. He sets random rules about what to do, think or say. Then he changes them frequently enough to keep everyone in constant fear.

Grace lives on the run from the reign of Keran Berj with a group of people called the Hills. They boys are raised to be fighters and girls are chosen to be Angels. Grace was sent to be an Angel, which means that she will be chosen one day for a specific task of terror. This task will include her own death as a suicide bomber.  She’s always accepted that as her fate by rationalizing that it would bring glory to her family. But when the day comes, she decides that she doesn’t want to die. But she can’t go back home, since she would be killed for her shameful act of not dying.

Then she meets another person in a similar situation.  This boy has always represented cruelty and death to her people.  But while getting to know him, Grace realizes that the two of them aren’t really that different. Grace has blood on her hands too in the name of her cause. Isn’t death still death? Isn’t terror still terror? No matter what the reason?

She finds a way that may be an escape for her, if she is able to make it through the malicious guards along the way to the border. Grace has lived her whole life preparing to die. Can she now prepare to live?

This is an amazing book.  I can’t do it justice in this review. The back of the book says “told in spare, powerful prose….that will haunt readers long after they’ve reached the final page.” That’s exactly it! It’s haunting, intense and sad. It brings to mind so many things. There is something about the train ride that reminded me of the Holocaust. Of course, the acts of terror are all too familiar to everyone. It’s a book you want to discuss with friends. I’m intrigued about what ideas sparked the idea for this book.

This book is a departure from Scott’s other books (so is Living Dead Girl).  For example, after someone reads & loves SOMETHING, MAYBE, you wouldn’t go immediately think to recommend GRACE. But that’s just a testament to what a brilliant and talented writer she is. This is incredible range. Wow! I just have to wonder what topic she’ll tackle next! Whatever it is, I’ll be there to devour it!

Thank you Elizabeth Scott for including me in your blog tour!
GRACE is due out September 16th. Check out the author at her website.
Click HERE to scroll through all the reviews I've done on her books. (you should really check them ALL out!)