Book Review: The Young World, by Chris Weitz

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Evan G.

young_world_cover Famous Hollywood screenwriter/director Chris Weitz has written his first novel, The Young World. It is set in a world two years in the future and teens are the only ones alive and they are in control. All of this was started by a sickness that killed everyone not experiencing puberty. This is because of the special fibers created during puberty that keep the sickness at bay. A group of teens living in Washington Square in New York have created a sort of community. However, when the leader Wash dies from “the sickness” after turning 18, his younger brother Jefferson and four other teens, venture out of their community on a journey that may lead them to a cure. This brings them on a wild adventure in which they face murderers, mole people, wild dogs, a bear, and cannibals.

Sci-Fi fans will love this book due to the post apocalyptic setting and show stopping action. The cliffhanger will almost definitely lead to an intriguing sequel.

The book is written in first person but in the form of a movie script, which is no surprise because of the author’s twenty years writing and directing films such as Twilight: New Moon, American Pie, Antz, The Golden Compass, A Better Life, and the upcoming Disney movie, Cinderella. I read my signed copy of this book in one day because I could not put it down. I was lucky to hear him speak about his book last month in Mission Viejo where he told of his life in Hollywood and how this book came to be.

All in all, this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it to people who don’t mind violence, mild romance, and major cussing. I recommend looking beyond the cussing to see the story for how great it is.

-Evan G., 6th grade

Book Review: From Lightning to the Light, by Dennis Koranek

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Danielle L.

From Lightning to the Light by Dennis Koranek is a very different type of book. I have never read anything like it before. Whether it’s a good different or bad different I have yet to decide. This is probably why it took me an unusually long time to read. But persevere I did, and I’m glad because the book is unique.

This book starts out with a professor getting hit by lightning, suffering temporary amnesia and ending up with a lightning-fast brain (get it?). Physically, his body no longer requires sleep, but otherwise, he is normal. He now spends his days and nights inventing interactive machines that help humanity. The chapters fly by as the words are written as if you’re in his fast-paced mind.

The story evolves quickly and soon introduces his “superhero” daughter, with each following chapter involving a new mission for her to complete.

Being a Spider-Man fan, I appreciate the superhero aspect of this novel. However, I think it would have been more engaging if it was slowed down a bit and involved more human details. I would have enjoyed getting personally closer to the characters. I did appreciate the unusualness of this novel in that all “gifts” were consistently credited to God, not man. There was no ego involved, and these “super humans” were God’s instruments. The novel ends with time travel, tying the previous chapters together but leaving a lot of room for character development in future books or even a TV series.

This book will satisfy all of us sci-fi fans out there while still keeping a focus on God, not man, as the ultimate Creator.

I would like to point out that this book is a work of fiction. It is very extraordinary and unique in the sense that this combines the Bible (non-fiction) and fiction together. However, for me personally, this makes me uncomfortable as I don’t know if this “merging” trivializes the Bible. But please, as this is my own personal opinion, give this book a go if it interests you! There aren’t too many like this one out there!

-Danielle L., 6th grade

Book Review: SYLO, by D.J. MacHale

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Kyle H.

SYLO is a story about an island off the east coast of the United States of America where there is supposedly a virus that leaked out.

A group of kids on the island tried to figure out what the virus is and why SYLO came. The longer SYLO stays on the island, the more suspicious the inhabitants get. Now, these kids will try to find out everything. All information will be theirs about SYLO, the mysterious Ruby, the victims of the virus, and who else is involved. As they learn more, they discover the SYLO officers contacting their parents. Once this is discovered, the kids get even more suspicious. Their limits are tested as these kids will be chased, questioned, in danger, and scared. But in the midst of all things seeming lost, there is always friendship and determination to get them through whatever task might come before them.

However, there might be obstacles that even these determined kids cannot surpass. Such as alien weaponry, and government associations that out-man, outgun, and might outwit these kids on their journey to find the truth and the lies. What is the virus? Who is SYLO? Why are their parents involved? How did the Ruby get onto their island? What are the kids going to do about everything?

All of these questions will be solved when you read SYLO.

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Book Review: Cinder, by Marissa Meyer

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Erika T.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a great summer read! With a fusion of the classic fairy tale, Cinderella, and the futuristic story of Star Wars, Cinder had me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

This sci-fi story takes place in the far future. In the future Earth has been through two more World Wars, been unified as a peaceful place, and is neighbors to the powerful alien race, Lunars, who live on the moon. Earth leaders have been trying to negotiate a peace treaty with Lunars.

The protagonist of the story is, Cinder, a teenage cyborg girl who is looked down upon by society and by her stepmother. When Cinder meets the charming Prince Kai, she finds her world slowly turning upside down. At the same time, her family is being attacked by the incurable plague. Devastated from the aftermath of the plague, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers Cinder to the cyborg draft. The cyborg draft has cyborgs test cures for the plague and no cyborg has come out alive. At the medical facilities, Cinder unravels the hidden truths about her life. These truths put herself, Prince Kai, and the entire Earth in danger. Cinder is soon intertwined with the outcome of every being on Earth and Luna! Check out this book this summer to live through the adventure of Cinder!

I would recommend this book to every teen! Cinder is an amazing new twist to the fairy tale we all know and love. There is action, romance, and suspense! It is filled with so many new surprises! There is that one big question that haunted me and I didn’t know the answer until the very end of the book. I couldn’t help but constantly wonder what was going to happen next! Because of that I couldn’t stop reading it!

If you liked Divergent or The Hunger Games I recommend this book for you!

-Erika T., 8th grader

Book Review: Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Becka O.

I don’t know if you have heard of this book. It’s become bigger recently but it isn’t the most popular title in my library. However, it is an interesting read and a very unique take on dystopian lit.

This isn’t the ordinary, “girl lives in society – society is corrupt – girl rebels and becomes an outcast. – falls in love with a rebel boy – take down corrupt society or government together – the end.” There are definitely those elements in this book, but there’s also cool new technology and a fresh new writing style. It does share elements with Divergent,
The Hunger Games, The Selection, Uglies, etc. However, I thought it was more than the generic dystopian book that has seemed to take Barnes and Noble by storm.

This book takes place in a world where civilized people live in pods and for them to go outside would mean certain death. Aether, the energy that fills the sky, has been zapping the ground for 6 generations. First it started fires and then it started plagues. There are tribes that live in the wild, savages, but for the average citizen, outside the pods is called the death shop. Even to breathe the air is certain death. So when Aria gets dropped off in the middle of the desert after an attempt to find her mom that kills three of her peers she is certain she will die and never see her mother again. But with the help from a Savage named Perry, she learns to survive and fight. But she continues to hunt for her mother.

This book was not extremely well written but the world Veronica Rossi creates is a fascinating concept that has not really been touched by a lot of dystopian authors. I thought that the storyline was good and the plot twists came out of nowhere. I would recommend it to anyone who likes dystopian or wants to try something new.

-Becka O., 8th grade

Book Review: The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Rachel L.

In celebration of the upcoming movie adaption of this exciting novel, I thought I would review the first book in this trilogy.

This dsytopian adventure is full of mystery and suspense, set in a chilling sort of “captivity” where young boys (and boys only) live in the middle of a dangerous maze that no one’s escaped or survived. The protagonist, Thomas arrives one day in “The Box” with no memory of anything and is immediately puzzled and disturbed by this place.

The boys live a puzzling life of trying to survive and attempting to make it out of the maze, with no idea of anything at all or who they are. The maze, which several of the boys try to brave but never make it out alive, holds terrifying creatures called Grievers.

One day, the disturbing cycle of everyday life is interrupted by the shocking arrival of- a girl. She brings a strange cryptic message before passing out. With her arrival, everything is shaken up. What happens then… you’ll have to read the book to find out.

This novel, although a bit slow at times, was a generally thrilling book that will keep you on the edge of your seat with a thousand questions running through your mind. Unfortunately, these questions are barely or not even answered in the first book, but the second and third ones do address them, and let me tell you – they will shock and excite and are not to be missed.

If you are a fan of dystopian stories like The Hunger Games or Divergent, I highly recommend this book (as well as the rest of the trilogy) for an entertaining suspense-filled read. Plus, you’ll be prepared for the upcoming movie, in theaters everywhere this September!

-Rachel L.,10th grade

The Hunger Games vs. Divergent

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Megan V.

Most people have read either Divergent or The Hunger Games before, since both were a sensation because of the movies that came out based on them. However, that’s not the only thing that these two book series have in common. In fact, there are many different ideas that could be compared to.

Number of books: they are both a trilogy, no matter how many short side stories there are.

Genre: They both are set in a future America where there is slightly more advanced technology and something has gone wrong, so all the laws were changed.

Main hero: Both have a girl as their hero and main character. For The Hunger Games, it’s Katniss Everdeen. For Divergent, it’s Tris (Beatrice) Prior.

The government’s thoughts: The main ruling government would later be after the heroine (as in most books).

Inciting incident: These two heroines start the route of their story by doing something that the government doesn’t expect.

Of course, if we are comparing these two books, we should know their differences, too.

The heroine’s views of their society: Katniss doesn’t like the government and wishes that there were different rules, for she is of the poorest district, and has to feed herself, her four year younger sister, and her sort of there mom. Tris, on the other hand, while she does wish to be with a different caste, she is okay with her government’s rulings.

The love story: I felt that Katniss was forced to love the guy. Even though he loved her, it never seemed like she loved him in the same way. However, Tris and the guy she likes definitely loved each other. Whenever, one of them needed emotional help, the other was usually there to give it to them, and whenever they kissed, the detailed descriptions showed that they meant each and every kiss.

Hero’s development: Katniss doesn’t learn much; she keeps her traits throughout her story. Tris, however, does change her beliefs; by the end of book one, she has clearly not feel the same way as she had in the beginning of the book.

Endings: I want readers to firstly know that this is my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their personal opinions, whether or not they agree with me. I felt that while The Hunger Games trilogy had a somewhat short and boring ending, it resolved the plot in a good way. However, the Divergent trilogy ends in a long, detailed, but very disappointing and terrible resolution.

In the end, I can say that these two series are awesome, no matter what their pros and cons are. I’d advise you to try them both!

-Megan V., 8th grade

Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle – as if you didn’t know the story

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Becka O.

The title is kind of weird, isn’t it? What kind of time has a wrinkle? In this book by Madeline L’Engle you get the wonderful combination of sci-fi and fantasy that is so hard to find.

Meg Murry’s father was on a mission for the president when he disappeared. No one knows where he is, least of all his family. Meg’s mother misses him dreadfully. Her brothers Dennys and Sandy have stepped up and become the family patriarchs. Her brother Charles Wallace is four years old and much smarter than she is. Meg herself is failing in school and feels awful all the time. However, things change when Charles Wallace meets Mrs.Who, Mrs.What, and Mrs.Which who take them and a boy named Calvin on an adventure through time and space to rescue their father from the terrible planet he is imprisoned on.

This book is absolutely amazing and it really is a classic. Sci-fi isn’t usually my thing but I have made an exception for this one book due to the fabulously written and extremely human characters. The language and the content have caused me to fall totally in love with this book and it has been one of my favorites from a pretty young age. If you have already read the book, there is a book called When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead which has a similar idea and takes a little bit of a more modern view while alluding to A Wrinkle in Time frequently. And if you like Madeline L’Engle, try some over her other books like A Swiftly Tilting Planet.

-Becka O., 8th grade

Series Review: The Last of the Jedi

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Kyle H.

I, for one, love the six Star Wars movies, and I am really excited about the new ones yet to come from Disney. That’s why, while at the Mission Viejo Library, I found a whole new Star Wars book series: The Last of the Jedi.

This series takes place in between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which is my favorite, and Episode IV: A New Hope. Now, I am not going to spoil anything too much about the two movies or the book series, but I will start off my “summary” by saying this: it is awesome!

As of right now I am on book 7 out of 10 known books, there might be more, and I love the storyline! It is about Ferus Olin who is trying to get the Jedi back together. He is successful at times, and others not so much, so it really keeps the reader on edge of what will happen next.

Also, familiar characters are in these books such as Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, Emperor Palpatine, and Grand Moff Tarkin. The author, Jude Watson, has taken many small details of the Star Wars films and put hints of them throughout the series, so if you want to read this series, I suggest watching the movies first. Although the books explain things well, you won’t get a single word of it until you see the movies.

If anyone has seen the movies and loved them like me, hopefully all of you, or read the series, then leave a comment so that I can see other thoughts about the books!

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Book Review: The Other Side of the Island, by Allegra Goodman

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Anmol K.

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman is about a brave girl named Honor, born in the eighth year of Enclosure, living in a society controlled by the Earth Mother and her Corporation. Every family on island 365 lives peacefully and follows the rules– except for Honor’s. They sing songs, ignore curfew, and do not pray to Earth Mother. Families are only allowed to have one child, but Honor also has a younger brother. Despite her great effort, Honor has great trouble trying to fit in with the other girls at her school.

At her school, she befriends a boy named Helix who is very knowledgeable about the island and he reveals to Honor that the people who are not “normal” disappear and never come back. Honor has a constant fear that her parents will be caught and taken, and she and her brother would be orphans forced to live at school– and one day, she discovers that her parents are missing. She is scared and lives alone with her younger brother at her home. Eventually she is discovered and is forced to live at school. The girls in her class no longer accept Honor because of her orphan status.

Honor and Helix, both trying to escape from school, devise a plan to escape during a great storm, which happens every couple of years. After the storm comes, only Honor escapes and she runs away from the school. To see if she makes it to her parents, you need to read this book with a shocking ending!

I found this book very interesting and unique among other dystopian novels. I really liked the surprise ending and found the whole book really interesting. I finished this book in one day because it was so good and I could not put it down. Recommended for anyone with an interest in dystopian novels, The Other Side of the Island is for ages ten and up.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

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