Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

The "New" is dropped, because now what was once New Orleans is a dead city. After devastation by several hurricanes, flooding and mass destruction, it is a new virus, called Delta Fever, that seals the city's fate. Unable to find a cure, and to avoid its spread, the Federal government separates itself from the devastated south and abandons it. The year is now 2056 and a thick wall separates the Outer States of America from an area presumed to be dead. Two unlikely souls will cross paths in the "dead" city of Orleans. Daniel, a scientist, who in search for a cure for Delta Fever, must enter the dead zone illegally to complete his research. Fen de la Guerre is a fifteen year old girl, who through a tough skin, and perseverance has learned to survive the cruelty and danger of the Delta. When they cross paths, a bond is formed, a bond of survival.

There has been a plethora of dystopian, or speculative fiction, and, as most of you know, I love it. In a genre that has recently seen little in the way of something different and new, Orleans is original, fresh, and well written. I REALLY liked this book. The story builds, is unpredictable, and Fen's voice is raw and real. At first, I was taken aback by her lack of emotion, but as Fen's back story is revealed, it became clear and understandable.

Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Grandpa Portman tells fantastic stories of unusual children, and even has pictures to prove that his stories are real. Sixteen year old Jacob had been hearing them, and believing them for years, but now that he is older he is convinced that they are all fake... convinced until he goes to visit grandpa, discovers him half dead in the woods behind his house, sees an unusual creature, and then is given a cryptic message by grandpa just before he dies. Jacob spirals into a deep depression, haunted by grandpa's message. After therapy, and family pressure, Jacob decides that he must go to a small island off the coast of England to visit the orphanage where his grandfather was placed during World War II. What follows is a haunting, fantastic adventure into a world that no one knows exists....or do they?

The refreshing thing about this book is that it is original...not another fantasy that uses Harry Potter as its template. What is not so refreshing is the writing. The writing is a bit stilted, lacking the lyrical, haunting tone that would have served this story well. The original, vintage photographs do provide some of the atmosphere missing in the writing, but it wasn't enough for me. That said, this will be popular in the library. The fantastical story of peculiar children with unusual powers will draw the reader in, as well as its exciting conclusion, that leaves enough open for a certain sequel.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

"To me though, I'm just me. An ordinary kid."
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with an unusual genetic defect, causing an extremely disfigured face. After many surgeries, and protection from the world by home schooling, Auggie's mom decides it is time for him to brave the world and start middle school. Wonder, R.J. Palacio's first novel, is the story of his first year of regular school, with regular kids. What I liked most, is that Auggie's story is not presented in a sappy, tug-at-your-heart, manipulative way. It just does. The people are very real, with his family loving, but not perfect. Teachers and administrators caring but not idealized. School mates and friends that mostly try, faulter, but learn and grow. The story is mostly told in Auggie's voice, but we also hear the voices of his sister and friends, who retell part of the story from their point of view, but then carry the story further. Ultimately it is August who grows the most, learning that whatever challenges are placed before you, it is what's inside, and what you do with it, that matters the most.
Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Book two of Meyer's Lunar Chronicles is just that. Book two. It takes off from where book one leaves off, and leaves you hanging, hankering for book three. Be that as it may, this is a very good book. As book one, Cinder, is very loosely  based on Cinderella, Scarlet is very loosely based on Red Riding Hood. Opening in a small village in France we are introduced to Scarlet, a young red head wearing a red hoodie, delivering vegetables to an inn where she meets Wolf. Scarlet is fiercely independent, and upset about her missing grand mere. Frustrated that the police will do nothing about it, she convinces Wolf to assist in finding her. Scarlet knows nothing about her grand mere's past which is connected to Cinder. Cinder is now imprisoned after her fateful appearance at his majesty Kai's ball. Cinder is gradually becoming aware of her powers and escapes her imprisonment, dragging a narcissistic fellow prisoner, Thorne, along. As Scarlet and Cinder learn about their history, the story brings them closer and closer to each other. The end, will of course, leave you hanging. I'm just wondering, how will the next book, Cress, connect Cinder and Scarlet to another fairy tale character, Rapunzel? I'll have to wait until 2014 to find out.
Reed Reads Score: 4

The Curiosities by Tessa Gratton, Maggie Stiefvater, and Brenna Yovanoff

From Lancelot to wizards, authors Stiefvater, Yovanoff, and Gratton produce The Curiosities, a book of unedited short stories.  Filled with tragedy, magic, and death this emotion driven book walks the characters off the page and into the minds of readers.  With unexpected life and personality these fast paced stories are personal in the way a reader would not expect.  Because they steer away from plot, the authors create chilling, compelling, and slightly sadistic characters.  The Curiosities was originally a hobby for these three YA novelists to test and toy with different plots, characters, settings, etc.  By doing this, each story is original and strange.  

The most interesting part of this collection is the footnotes and messages throughout the stories from the authors showing everything from writing techniques to pictures of dragons.  This brings a more personal affect, so when you read the next story its like visiting an old friend.  

The product became this amazing little kingdom of mystical creatures and problemed people.  By the end of it you will be going back fifty pages and looking for that story you loved or that stream of poetic lines you just couldn’t get out of your head.  While it isn’t a fast read, it is highly recommended,
and you will enjoy every bit of the way.  

Reed Reads Score:  4.5

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Remy Starr knows exactly what she wants.  She has her mind set on Stanford in the fall and is ready for her next summer fling with whom ever follows her strict rules of boy material.  But when Dexter, a musician, crash-lands into her life she is finding that not all the rules apply, he just isn’t adding up.  So why can’t she bring herself to break up with him?  She knows better than anyone that this shouldn’t last.  In Dessen’s unconventional romance she once again brings a character driven novel to life.  Her smart, quick, and witty writing will have you turning pages till dawn.

Reed Reads Score:  5

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Prodigy, book two in Marie Lu's Legend Series, is unusual in that it is not only a very solid middle book of a series, but it actually soars beyond the first book, Legend. Day and June are wanted criminals in the Republic. Day is a poor street runner that is defiant against the Republic for the death of his family, and their taking of his little brother Eden. June is an aristocratic prodigy, who's allegiance to the Republic is shattered when she discovers that they murdered her brother for which Day was framed. Together they are an unstoppable force that are recruited by the Patriots, an underground militia whose goal is to bring revolution to the Republic. Day is torn between the street girl he grew up with, Tess, and June. June is torn between Anden, the Republic's young new leader and Day. The romantic tension gets tangled in an assassination plot that Day and June must carry out. The romance and action are intense and interwoven in a way that will make lovers of either genre satisfied. Even more interesting to me is the social commentary that Lu subtly draws between the Republic and the Colonies, warring factions created when the United States was divided. This is a very satisfying read, full of action, surprises and plot twists.
Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Tally Youngblood can't wait until she turns sixteen, when she can finally get out of her 'Uglyville' dorm and get over to 'New Pretty Town', where everyone has an operation that makes them a Pretty.  She'll be stunning, she'll reunite with her best-friend Paris, and she'll have tons of fun!  But when she meets Shay, a soon to be Pretty herself, she isn't so sure anymore.  Shay wants nothing to do with becoming a Pretty, she wants to leave their "perfect" society and escape to a far off village called the Smoke where no one becomes Pretty.  When Shay leaves and Tally is left alone questioning the means of the operation, she is pulled away by a group of government scientists, called Specials.  They blackmail Tally into going out into the unknown to find Shay. Another escaped citizen is a sign that a rebellion is closer.  Tally embarks on a long journey where she finds herself and realizes not everything is what it seems.

In this thrilling dystopian trilogy Westerfeld transforms a classic Twilight Zone episode into a full on adventure.  He takes the ideas and concepts of the episode and makes it original and complete.  Everything from the characters to the plots were unique and as the story builds you start to question our own society.  This smart and relatable novel brings so many new elements to the way you see the world and Westerfeld will have you squirming the whole way through. 

Reed Reads Score: 3.5

Best Books 2012

It's hard to believe the year is coming to an end, and I'm again posting my favorite reads for 2012. I didn't read nearly as much this past year and it is my resolution to read more in 2013. I have to admit, I read a lot of sci-fi and dystopian, but I do try to read across genres. While reflecting on last year, I look forward to what is in store for the next. My biggest problem is not in finding something but in choosing something. I wish I were a faster reader!!! The order of the books is the order in which they were read. You can read the full reviews by clicking on the title. While not all rated a 5, each one has some sort of emotional attachment for me...

The Only Ones by Aaron Starmer

Posted January 21, 2012
Read this for the writing as well as the creativity. While many MS readers will find it difficult to get through, it is well worth it.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Posted March 29, 2012
This book made me a fan of John Green. An emotional tale of a young girl, living and dealing with cancer. Keep a box of tissue handy. Read it before the movie is released.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Posted May 6, 2012
A futuristic retelling of Cinderella?  So I thought. While some of the elements are there, this is a creative, original sci-fi. Get to this one soon as the sequel Scarlet (Little Red Riding Hood?) just came out.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Posted June 30, 2012
I didn't give this a strong score, 3.5, because the first half is so slow, that I almost put it down. The second half pulled me in like a pit of quicksand. The characters, setting and plot created an atmosphere that resonated with me long after I finished the book.

Paper Towns by John Green

Posted August 12, 2012
John Green has created a smart and humorous novel with sharp and witty dialogue. His writing is well crafted, and one that, quite frankly, I'm very envious of. He leaves lots to ponder, but the end is especially thought provoking and will leave you with lots of questions.

Looking for Me by Betsy Rosenthal

Posted August 12, 2012
A collection of poems, that create a short, poignant account of eleven-year-old Edith, growing up in a Jewish family of twelve children in Baltimore during the 1930's.  A quick read, to be read with an open heart.

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Posted September 1, 2012
This book will hold you from first page to last. It is well written, moves quickly, has unexpected plot twists, and well developed characters and setting. While it is violent in terms of a middle school read, it is an excellent read for older, more mature readers. 

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

Posted December 29, 2012
A sequel to Unwind, new characters make the story more complex and raise more ethical issues It all comes together in a hair raising, fiery climax that leaves you yearning for more. A fantastic read but recommended for more mature readers for violent content.

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead

Georges' (the s is silent) family had to move to an apartment in Brooklyn after his dad lost his job. When emptying trash in the basement, they discover an old notice, announcing a spy club meeting. When Georges goes to the meeting, he meets Safer, a boy of similar age, who pulls Georges in to learn how to be a fellow spy, and investigate Mr. X, a mysterious apartment tenant that only wears black. Safer's sister Candy, sometimes helps, and is sometimes in the way. Georges also has to deal with Dallas, a bully at school that has it in for Georges. Georges must leave his comfort zone when Safer asks him to intrude on Mr. X's privacy, as well as deal with Dallas at school. It is clear that both boys, Georges and Safer, have a growing friendship, but both have their demons and are hiding something.
Having read Stead's When You Reach Me, I was expecting a little more from this. Liar & Spy is a sweet, simple read; nothing too complex. One of the things I appreciate about this book, is that all of the adult characters are real, caring people.
Reed Reads Score: 3

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

Shusterman's Unwind (click to see original review) was a haunting vision of America's future. It remains one of the most popular science fiction novels in the library. Five years later, Shusterman comes up with a sequel, UnWholly: Book 2 of the Unwind Trilogy. I felt that this book was unnecessary, as Unwind was incredible and complete.
Then I read the book.
Shusterman is a master storyteller. I don't know if he originally intended to write a trilogy, but he has constructed a more complex, more intense followup that makes this a compelling read. Often the middle book of a trilogy is the weakest, but UnWholly managed to take the story in directions I never expected, and left me hanging, screaming for book three.
Unwinding is the process of dismembering teenagers between the ages of thirteen and seventeen using their body parts for transplantation. Originally it was a solution to a civil war over the abortion issue, but is now accepted by society, and a big business. Unwind is the story of three rebellious teenagers, Connor, Risa, and Lev who escape their unwinding and are on the run, creating a rebellion that questions the morality of unwinding. UnWholly continues their story, and introduces some new characters. Connor is now running the Graveyard, a sanctuary for unwind runaways. Risa joins Connor, but is wheel chair bound from a spinal injury. Lev has become somewhat of a folk hero as the tithe that rebelled, became a clapper (unwinds that have their blood injected with an explosive that detonates when they clap), that was captured, and is now the inspiration of tithes that were saved from their unwinding. The story introduces three new characters;  Starkey, a rebellious teenager, taken for unwinding, Miracolina a tithe, like Lev, looking forward to her unwinding, and Cam, a new person created from unwound body parts, yearning to figure out what he is and how he fits in to society. These new characters make the story more complex and raise more ethical issues, as their stories are told in separate, alternating chapters, but come together in a hair raising, fiery climax that leaves you yearning for more. A fantastic read but recommended for more mature readers for violent content.
Reed Reads Score: 5

Scrivener's Moon by Philip Reeve

Scrivener's Moon, the third installment of the Fever Crumb series, left me breathless and a bit out of sorts. The series is the prequel to the four part Mortal Engines series, which I have not read. This book made me feel that I wish I had started there, as many of the events and characters lead to Mortal Engines.
Fever Crumb is back in London, after attempting air flight and a brief romance in Web of Air (book 2 in the series). London is moving forward in becoming a mobile city, and Wavy, Fever's mother, is the chief engineer for the project. Fear of a mobile city in the northern regions, based on the premonitions of a young girl called Cluny, sparks a rebellion, while at home, sinister Charlie Shallow (who tried to murder Fever in book one), works his way up the London power structure, crushing anyone who blocks his way. Wavy forms an expedition to the Northern region to substantiate a rumor of a pyramid locked with technological remnants of the past. Fever insists on joining her mother. The events that follow, including an unexpected romance, challenge all of Fever's beliefs and understanding of the world. Vivid imagery with interesting and colorful characters make this a satisfying read.
Read Reads Score: 3.5

A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle

Mary O' Hara, a cheeky twelve-year-old, was facing many problems in her life: her best friend had moved away, her beloved grandmother was in the hospital, and she didn't really like school (hated it). But one day after school, Mary met a mysterious woman who claimed to be her granny's mother and seemed to be a ghost. The story is told in 4 perspectives of women in each generation, Mary, Scarlett, Emer, and Tansey and short segments of their pasts with their mother. In this story, the characters get to learn more about their relative they might have not really known about because the relative might have died before they could have met him/her. Readers get to learn about the importance of family and growing up without a mother.

In the beginning of the book, it starts off slow-paced and dull and didn't seem to have much an interesting plot. But as I read on, it became heartwarming with a somewhat happy but vague ending. A book mostly with dialogue, I thought that this book was a very sweet book that made me sad and happy at the same time. But I don't really recommend it to read.
Read Reads Score: 3

Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde

Vivian Vande Velde, author of acclaimed novel, Heir Apparent, is back with a brand new novel, Deadly Pink. It centers around a futuristic world that is altogether possible, in which video games are immersible and can be played in. Grace Pizzelli is the boring daughter, not particularly beautiful, or popular, or smart, like her sister, Emily, but she is the only one who can save her from a virtual suicide. Emily works for Rasmussem, a company which makes virtual reality games, and designs a game made for young girls, a land of butterflies and sprites. One day, she decides to barricade herself into the game, knowing fully well that her brain will overheat from the technology. Grace must discover what could have caused her perfect sister to even consider this virtual suicide, and to try to get her out from the overly sparkly, pink happy land. Can  she save Emily before time runs out? Unless she does, Emily will die, not just in the game, but in real life.
Having read many other science fiction and virtual reality novels, I found this book to be interesting, in that it was much more realistic than the usual novels of the genre. This world is quite like ours, except with somewhat more advanced technology. The plot dragged halfway through the book, not enough to make me put it down, but enough to make me lose some interest. Emily's character comes off a bit snobby, and unlike one her character should be. The contrast between Emily and Grace was not nearly shown enough, though their sisterly relationship was well woven into the plot. The ending is left a bit unsettled and the problems are too easily solved afterward, but overall, this book and its twists and turns were quite interesting.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Peffer

Every single day, we use hundreds of things that we don't even think about, things that are there to help with our everyday lives. But what if all those things disappear suddenly, if the world turned upside down? What if you weren't guaranteed food every day? What would you do in the middle of winter with no heat? What would you be willing to do to keep your family alive?
When a giant asteroid hit the moon, the moon was propelled towards the Earth. Most people figured that it was no big deal. Many didn't care. They only started to care when their TVs stopped working,  planes fell out of the sky and the subways flooded. Alex Morales is coming home from a perfectly normal day to his two sisters waiting at home. He notes the sirens of the ambulances and fire trucks as just part of the New York sound track. He doesn't notice his world is falling apart till the next day when his mother fails to return, his brother is sent out with the Marines, and his father is trapped across the continent. In this state of crisis, Alex does all that he can to save his family, making some of the hardest choices in his life.
The Dead the Gone is the sequel to Life as We Knew It, and both are stunning novels of survival. As I read this book, I could feel myself making choices right along with Alex. Throughout the book, you can feel yourself growing right along with him, and are sympathetic to his challenges that you hope that you never have to face. I loved the character development, not only of Alex, but of his sisters as well. This different perspective on the same disaster is far from boring, but refreshing. Although, if it's not your cup of tea, it could easily become depressing.
Reed Reads Score: 4.5

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

A wonderful story of deception, love, and magic.
The once alluring, powerful nation of Ravka has now been split by a dangerous lake, The Shadow Fold. The Shadow Fold lurks with carnivorous monsters, darkness beyond imagination, and fear. The kingdom is full of people who possess magical powers, who try to keep the path safe, but it's still considered suicide to pass through.
When Alina Starkov, a girl orphaned by the Border Wars, is discovered to possess magical powers that could close the Shadow Fold, a mysterious figure known as The Darkling takes her on as his student, ripping her from her only friend, Mal. Alina believes she's being trained to save her country, to close the Shadow Fold, but who is The Darkling? Can she trust him?
I found Shadow and Bone to be a good way to pass the time, but a bit too cliche. You could easily predict what would happen next and the writing didn't delve into the personality of Alina nearly enough for me. Still,  it did make me gasp, smile, and shiver with fright.
Reed Reads Score: 3.5

What Came From the Stars by Gary Schmidt

In a world light years away, the Velorim are about to be annihilated by evil Lord Mondus. Velorim power is in their art, and to keep it from Lord Mondus, it is forged in a chain, sent up to the heavens to a world galaxies away, eventually landing in Tommy Pepper's lunch box. Tommy puts the chain around his neck, not knowing of its powers and the evil sent from Velorim to retrieve it. The chain and its powers will change the life of Tommy, his family, and the community. An unexpected fantasy from Gary Schmidt, the writing is strong and emotional, but did not speak to me as did his other titles. The story is told in alternating chapters between Plymouth, MA and the world of the Velorim. The story of Velorim is told in a language created by Schmidt, and can be difficult to follow, but Tommy's story is poignant as he and his family grieve over the death of his mother. The love between Tommy, his sister, and father are what brings heart to the story.
Reed Reads Score: 3

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

A story of a horse and the lives of the owners linked to him. Told in the voice of the horse, the story opens in England, as the young horse is separated from his mother when sold at auction. He is bought by a farmer, but trained and loved by the farmer's son, Albert who names the horse Joey. With World War I looming, and the farmer in need of funds, the horse is sold to a British army commander, to the distraught of Albert. Albert is promised by the commander that Joey will be well taken care of and returned at the end of the war. The horror of war is told through the experience of the horse, as he is captured by the Germans, adopted by a young girl, won back to the British by a soldier's bet, and reunited with Albert, now a soldier in the army. I found the first-person account, told through the voice of Joey, a horse,  off-putting. The language seemed stiff, coldly descriptive, and detached. The story attempts to be heart warming, but might have been more successful told in the third person.
Reed Reads Score: 2.5

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

We are all familiar with the reality shows where a survivalist is shown in the wild with nothing but their keen knowledge of the wilderness and what's on their back to survive... all the while knowing there is a camera and crew behind the scenes.  Hiaasen's Chomp looks at the genre with humor and adventure. Wahoo Crane's father Mickey is an animal wrangler in Florida. Short on cash, Wahoo's father takes a job with a T.V. show Expedition Survival!, whose star, Derek Badger, is an egotistical, fool hardy, phony. Derek Badger has never spent one night in the wild, and has a liking for luxury hotels and rich food.

Mickey and Wahoo are asked to travel with the show which will be shooting a show in the Everglades. While shopping for supplies, Wahoo runs into a friend from school named Tuna. Noticing her black eye, Wahoo learns that Tuna's father is beating her. Wahoo is in disbelief, and Mickey while wanting to beat Tuna's father to a pulp, decides to take Tuna with them on the Everglades expedition to get her out of the house. What happens is an adventure that Mickey and Wahoo will never forget, from Derek being bitten by a bat, then believing he will turn into a vampire to Tuna's dad coming after her. A good read for animal lovers and reality show junkies.

Reed Reads Score: 3.5

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

This is a violent and bloody book, that is sadly, reflective of our times.
A future United States is ripped apart by a bloody civil war, and the landscape has been altered by melting polar ice caps, flooding coast line cities. In this companion book to Ship Breaker, Tool, a genetically created human/animal designed to kill, is now further north than the gulf coast setting in Ship Breaker. Captured by one of the warring factions, he has now escaped and is hiding in the jungle. He is near death. Mahalia is a young girl who is mixed race, her father a chinese "peacekeeper", and her mother American. She is considered an outcast, or "war maggot" and has been beaten and maimed (one of her hands chopped off) by the warring groups. She has been taken in by a peace loving doctor and trained to help him treat victims of the war. She is devoted to Mouse a young boy that helped save her, and who has also been taken in by the doctor. When their village is savagely taken over by a battalion, she fights back, causing embarrassment and damage to the soldiers. She escapes to the jungle with Mouse where she runs into Tool. Tool takes Mouse captive, promising to release him, if Mahalia brings him antibiotics. Returning to Tool with the doctor and promised medicines, she treats Tool, against the will of the doctor. Returning to the village, the doctor is killed, and Mouse recruited to be a soldier. This sets in motion the union of Tool and Mahalia to search for and find Mouse.

This book will hold you from first page to last. It is well written, moves quickly, unexpected plot twists, and well developed characters and setting. The book, at least for me, was a commentary on the current situation in the Middle East, where more than a generation knows nothing more than war, children are recruited as soldiers, there is no value for human life, "peacekeepers" have attempted, but failed to help, and any sense of humanity is lost to the "cause".  An excellent read, but for older, mature readers because of the extreme violence.
Reed Reads Score: 4.5