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Dead Zone

Dead Zone

Reviewed by: William Brown - Falmouth Memorial Library, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 9, 2014

Review

Dead Zone is the Sequel to Blackout, a story about teens who develop supernatural powers. Our main character, Aubrey, has the ability to make others not notice her, a power much like invisibility, if with a few quirks. In this installment Aubrey and her friends have joined the US Military to help the country as it is assailed by terrorist acts from superpowered teens.

This book sees the acts of terrorism rise into outright war as Russia invades Alaska and begins to crush the US Military response with the abilities of superpowered teens on their own. It's a good and compelling story that follows the original characters throughout the conflict. The atmosphere remains a bit more rigid and militaristic throughout compared to the first book. The writing for the protaganists is well done, but the story feels a little lacking as the entire Russian offensive relies on the powers of two teens. While this gives good reason for the antagonizing teens to be detailed as characters, they also seem to steal too much of the focus for events on that side. I think this story could have been improved by splitting this book into two, and really giving more time adding detail and focus to the other Russian superteens and involving them in a larger part of this stage of the war.

Still, it was an entertaining and compelling read. If you have teen fans of military action and war, or kids with superpowers, this is a good read. An excellent choice for fans of the Fifth Wave.

Overall Book Score: very good

About the Book

Author:

Wells, Robison

Publisher: Harperteen / HarperCollins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction

Audience: grades 7-9, grades 10-12, adult / professional

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062275028

Price: 17.99

Blackbird

Blackbird

Reviewed by: William Brown - Falmouth Memorial Library, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 9, 2014

Review

It begins when she wakes up laying between the rails of the subway track with a train barreling down upon her. She survives that harrowing moment only to find out that the risk to her life has only just begun. She has no memories, no name, only a backpack, a strange tattoo, and a note that warns her not to contact the police. Only one thing becomes clear quickly: She isn't safe. There are people after her, and they don't intend nice things. Who can she trust? Why are they after her, and who are they? This mystery-thriller tale has lots of questions and turns throughout it, while a few hints of sci-fi and the feeling of being hunted makes this a great choice for fans of the Hunger Games. An exciting and action packed book, this is a good thriller but never develops into a particularly deep backstory, this is a fun, quick read that could have been a longer series with more investment. Still an enjoyable read for fans of sci-fi, dystopias, and survival fiction.

Overall Book Score: good

About the Book

Author:

Carey, Anna

Publisher: Harperteen / HarperCollins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: science fiction, mystery

Audience: grades 7-9, grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062299734

Price: 17.99

Trial By Fire

Trial By Fire

Reviewed by: William Brown - Falmouth Memorial Library, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 6, 2015

Review

Trial By Fire is a very interesting book. Fantasy blended with a touch of science fiction. Our protagonist is a young lady in high school who is beset by crippling allergies that keep her from most aspects of a normal life. That changes completely when she is drawn through magic to an alternate version of the world she knows. She leaves behind the Earth that we know for one ruled by magic, where the study and teaching of science is forbidden on pain of death. Here she finds that she's not crippled by allergies, but instead has latent magical powers that she doesn't understand and faces another version of herself who rules from on high, and treats those who oppose her without mercy and must struggle to come to grips with meeting her own alternate self and find her way in a world she doesn't understand. This book has a fascinating approach to a magical world, depicting it through the eyes of a science literate teenager who takes what she sees and views it in terms the reader can easily understand. Few books blend science and magic with any degree of success, and this does an admirable job with both.

Overall Book Score: good

About the Book

Author:

Angelini, Josephine

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends / Macmillan

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,fantasy

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9781250050885

Price: 18.00

In a Handful of Dust

In a Handful of Dust

Reviewed by: William Brown - Falmouth Memorial Library, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 6, 2015

Review

This is the sequel to "Not a Drop to Drink", and takes place in a modern earth where climate change has led to catastrophe, and drinking water has become a scarce and intensely valuable resource.

In the first book we watched Lynn as she struggled as a girl to protect her home and the small pond that kept her alive. We saw how ruthless Lynn could be, and how taking her water was an act with often fatal consequences.

In this sequel we follow Lynn and Lucy as they leave their home and pond to travel west to California. It is a long, difficult and grueling journey through a harsh and arid country to reach their destination. Danger threatens at every step, but where Lynn is hardened by the world they live in, Lucy is sweet and trusting in ways that Lynn could never be. The dichotomy between the two works well, and the journey provides an excellent coming of age story for Lucy as they make their way through a dry, bleak world.

Overall Book Score: very good

About the Book

Author:

McGinnis, Mindy

Illustrator: ,

Publisher: Katherine Tegan / HarperCollins

Book Type: chapter book fiction

Genre: adventure,science fiction

Audience: grades 7-9,grades 10-12

Binding Type: trade edition

Binding Quality: good

ISBN: 9780062198532

Price: 18

The Scavengers

The Scavengers

Reviewed by: William Brown - Falmouth Memorial Library, Falmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 6, 2015

Review

While postapocalyptic books have grown to be quite common of late, none of them have the approach of The Scavengers by Michael Perry. This dystopian novel includes a good dash of humor that sets it apart from many of its peers and makes for a truly enjoyable read. Where most of the world's inhabitants have retreated into the safety of bubble-domed cities and are fed by genetically modified UrCorn that can heal almost anything, our protaganist is a girl who lives Outside with her family, hidden from the unpredictable hordes of chemical-swilling GreyDevils and making a living by mining the salvagable goods out of an old garbage dump. Her name is taken from an old car they've dug up near her home: Ford Falcon. When trouble predictably rears it's head, Ford Falcon teams up with a gibberish-speaking neighbor, his crazy attack rooster, her disabled younger brother and others to stand up to the bad guys and rescue her family and serve the greater good. The scavengers succeeds admirably in crafting an adventure that could make a fine longer read-aloud while still being interesting and meaningful to the one doing the reader. A children's story with lots of detail and depth. Well suited for either junior or young adult collections.

Overall Book Score: very good