The Fitter, Happier UnLibrarian's Blog of Young Adult Books: War

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Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Publish Date: January 2009

ISBN: 0375845631

Page #: 256pp

Reading Level: Young Adult

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy

Subjects: Faerie, Magic, Post-Apocalyptic, War

Annotation:

This is the story of the War between humans and faeries. It's a cautionary yet hopeful apocalypse story.

Summary:

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the faerie war ended before Liza was born, but it seems the world will never recover from the devastation that took place. Liza's town has become very secluded ever since and doesn't welcome strangers. There are references are made about "Before" when there were such things as TV and airplanes but there has been a traumatic war that involved "our world" and the world of the Faerie. This has created great fear in the sense that children who are born with faerie hair like Liza's newborn sister are cast out to die as people who are touched by magic are even more dangerous than the trees, so when Liza suspects that she may be tainted with magic as well, she flees from her village. She soon finds out that there is much more about herself, the magic, and her world, that she did not know before.

Megan says:

Bones of Faerie is a beautifully written, page-turning and thought provoking story. The post apocalypse/magic angle is unique and makes for an intriguing plot. Teens who enjoy faerie fiction (hi Melissa Marr and Holly Black fans) with dark fantasy twists will love this book.

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★

Janni Lee Simner Website

Book of a Thousand Days by Hannon Hale

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Publish Date: September 2007

ISBN: 1599900513

Page #: 320pp

Reading Level: Young Adult

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy

Subjects: Central Asia, Dysfunctional Family, Fairy Tales, Friendship, Love, Magic, Orphans, Secrets, War

Annotation:

Dashti thought life within the tower with her sullen lady was hard, but her real challenge begins when she escapes. A re-telling of the Brothers Grimm tale, Mail Maleen, through the simplistic voice of Dashti, maid to Lady Saren.

Summary:

This is a beautiful retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Maid Maleen. Lady Saren and her lady’s maid Dashti, a common “mucker” from the dirt-poor steppes, are locked up in a stone tower when Lady Saren refuses to marry the cruel Lord Khasar. Lady Saren worries and seems to welcome death, but the illustrious Dashti decides to keep a journal of their imprisonment in between her lady’s maid duties. She sings mucker healing songs to attempt to lift her lady’s complaints, in which seems to not always work. All is dark and depressing within the tower, but Dashti never succumbs to the distressing mental anguish. It is when Dashti leaves the tower that she is faced with an imminent threat by Lord Khasar and his armies. Lady Saren is too scared to do anything, leaving Dashti to pull from her inner strength and simple healing songs, and cultivate courage she never believed possible. Her actions may cost her life, but it might also bring her happiness she never thought was possible.

Megan says:

Book of a Thousand Days is a lovely Brothers Grimm fairytale, Maid Maleen, re-told by Shannon Hale. This is a story about Dashti, a ladies maid to Lady Saren, who during a seven year incarceration in a tower overcomes the tragedies that befall them with unfailing optimism. I liked how the story was told in the form of a journal of sorts, but unlike some books, where this convention has been used awkwardly, this story flowed easily and enjoyably as told from the view of Dashti. I highly recommend this book.

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Shannon Hale Website

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: August 2008
ISBN: 031606792X
Page #: 768pp
Reading Level: Young Adult
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Paranormal/Romance

Series: The Twilight Saga
Twilight (2005)
New Moon (2006)
Eclipse(2007)
Breaking Dawn (2008)

Subjects: Death, Friendship, Love Triangle, Romance, Sex, Teen Pregnancy, Vampires, War, Werewolf, Young Mother.

Annotation:

Bella Swan, the star protagonist from the first three Twilight novels finally between her vampire love and her human life. Additionally, she is forced to make a decision regarding the life of herself or the life of someone she loves (even more then Edward).

Summary:

With the conclusion of Eclipse, Bella has finally agreed to marry Edward, despite her hang-ups on getting married young. As Breaking Dawn begins we see Bella gearing up for her wedding to Edward. Simultaneously, her friendship with Jacob is dwindling. As always, Bella is having hard times with the consequences to her decisions, especially about what happens to her on Isle Esme Island. The relations between Jacob and Bella remain uneasy as Jacob has a hard time being happy with Bella’s decisions. Breaking Dawn is sectioned off into three narrations, two of them are from Bella’s perspective and one of them is from Jacob’s perspective. The final installment is filled with dramatic moments and immense decisions involving the characters relationships, the fight against the Volturi, and the meaning of true love.

Megan says:

Stephenie Meyer will never win the Nobel Prize for literary style, but she is a GENIUS storyteller! Therefore making this final installment of the Twilight Saga simply breathtaking and my favorite of the Saga. Readers will finally have conclusions to all the questions presented in the previous novels, plus more. Stephenie Meyer has said that Mid-Summer Nights Dream was an inspiration for Breaking Dawn.

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Stephenie Meyer Website
Stephenie Meyer talks about Breaking Dawn on YouTube
Breaking Dawn Teaser Trailer

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Publish Date: July 2007
ISBN: 0545010225
Page #: 759pp
Reading Level: 9 to 12
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1999)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2004)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2006)

Subjects: Adventure, Death, England, Fantasy, Friendship, Magic, School, Series, War, Witches, Witchraft, Wizards

Annotation:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and last book in the Harry Potter series. This leads to the final fight between Harry and Lord Voldemort.

Summary:

This is the final novel in the Harry Potter series, and J.K. Rowling delves further into tales of darkness and magic and mystery. It is in this final chapter that Harry makes the journey from boy to manhood. It is in this book, that Harry will be faced with the sage wisdom of Dumbledore to make the choice between “what is right and what is easy.” And how this journey will test Harry Potter as his journey is filled with both triumph and victory as well as great loss and tragedy.

Megan says:

A spectacular finish to a remarkable series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was a bittersweet read for me as I LOVED the entire series and wanted it to go on forever. As with any ending to a series, questions and conclusions will be answered and reviled as the struggles Harry and his friends face throughout their quest to destroy Lord Voldemort are riveting and heart-ponding as the battle between Harry and Voldemort finally comes to end. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was on the YALSA's Top Ten books in 2008, picked by teens.

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

J.K Rowling Website
The Official Harry Potter Website

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
Publish Date: April 2008
ISBN: 0765319853
Page #: 384pp
Reading Level: Young Adult
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction/Real-Life

Subjects: Civil Rights, Department of Homeland Security, Friendship, Hackers, Politics, Privacy, Rebellion, Revolution, Romance, San Francisco, Technology, Teenager, Terrorism, War

Annotation:

Little Brother is George Orwell's 1984 set in the 21st century. Marcus Yallow is seventeen years old and will not let the Department of Homeland Security take his freedom away, not without a fight.

Summary:

Marcus Yallow aka techno-geek “w1n5t0n/ M1k3y" is a seventeen-year-old computer genius that manipulates technology to meet his needs. His friends, Vanessa, Darryl and Jolu engage in Harajuku Fun Madness and hacking the Xbox. All is good until they become victims in a terrorist bombing of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. After spending time incarcerated in a secret prison after the attack, Marcus finds him in a government run society where the Department of Homeland Security watches your every move, interrogating questionable actions, and making it close to impossible to live a normal life. This drives Marcus crazy and ignites the rebellion and freedom fighting in which causes him to lose people who are close to him. Cory Doctorow has been noted stating George Orwell’s 1984 as inspiration, labeling Little Brother Fan Fiction.

Megan says:

My favorite book that I have read this year so far. THIS IS A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE! Meaning both young adult and adult. From Harajuku Fun Madness to standing up to the man and fighting for freedom. Cory Doctorow is brilliant in his tech-geek fiction that is frighteningly close to reality. Reader's will enjoy the techno-revolution, rebellion, and all out civil rights fighting that Markus attempts to stage. This book really made me think deeply about civil rights. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Cory Doctorow on Little Brother

Cory Doctorow "Craphound"
Download Little Brother for FREE!
Little Brother Myspace
Courtney Lerner's Book Trailer

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Publish Date: July 1959
ISBN: 0399501487
Page #: 208pp
Reading Level: Young Adult
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Coming of Age/Adventure

Subjects: Adolescence, Adventure, Dystopia, Island, Survival, Violence, War

Annotation:

A classic tale of English school boys who are stranded on an unpopulated island where lack of order and supervision leads to savagery.

Summary:

Lord of The Flies tells the tale of a group of English school boys who crash on a deserted island. Initially, the school children take care of one another, cooperating and aiding in the survival of one another by making shelter, hunting food and igniting fires. However, civility quickly turns to a play of savagery as the boys paint themselves and begin taking sides, pitting one against the other. William Golding has written a thrilling novel that explores the not so great expanse between human reason and animal instinct.

Megan says:

Frightening. Beautiful. Tragic. Innocence. Lord of the Flies is an all time favorite of mine, therefore making this a must-read to all! The story examines the intrinsic dark side of humanity through thirteen boys who are stranded on a deserted island. We follow them on their journey into survival which lays many thrilling and disturbing adventures while equally displaying an innocence beauty within each of the boys. Really and truly an AMAZING story.

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

William Golding Website
Lord of the Flies Trailer 1990

Lord of the Flies IMDB 1990

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith

Publisher: Quirk Publishing

Publish Date: March 2009

ISBN: 1594743347

Page #: 320pp

Reading Level: Adult

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Classic/Horror

Subjects: 19th Century, British, Cannibalism, Heartbreak, Plaque, Relationships, Romance, Sisters, War, Zombies

Annotation:

Seth Grahme-Smith has been noted for stating he once took a class in English literature. "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." And the story begins. . .

Summary:

The clever zombification of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice expands the beloved story of Elizabeth Bennett and the proud Mr. Darcy. The classic story prevails with sprinkles of crunching zombies, as there has been a mysterious plaque that has fallen upon the English village of Meryton. The ever so spirited Elizabeth is determined to stop the zombie mayhem but the arrival of Mr. Darcy provides a distraction for her. The equally hatred feeling between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy broils throughout the story and just as Elizabeth is about to kill Mr. Darcy, he surprises her. The complex relationships throughout the novel provide comedy, romance, and utter horror.

Megan says:

This is the most amazing book! Wow! I have been waiting to read this (for what feels like a century) and was over joyed when I found out they released it early, in which I ran to the bookstore to get my copy. I finished this novel in two days. Not only is Seth Grahame-Smith a GENIUS he also is HILARIOUS! I was never a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice but when I saw zombies attached to the title I was instantly sold. Seth brilliantly tweaks Jane Austen's written words, making the story much more entertaining, along with beautiful and again hilarious artwork. MUST READ for all!

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Movie
Zombie Austen author moves on to Abraham Lincoln, vampire hunter

The Compound by S.A Bodeen

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publish Date: April 2008

ISBN: 0312370156

Page #: 256pp

Reading Level: Young Adults

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction/Real Life

Subjects: Apocalyptic, Deception, Family, Family Politics, Survival, Twins, Voigts, War

Annotation:

After the nuclear attack, Eli and his family have been living in a Compound his father had built for six years. When they start to run out of food supplies and Eli gets the internet working he finds that his father may be holding them captive, not protecting them.

Summary:

Billionaire Rex Yanakakis has created a Compound, a three-story underground shelter that will house the family for 15 years in the event of a nuclear war. When that actually happens, not everyone in Eli’s family makes it in, Gram and Eli’s twin brother Eddy are left out because they did not make it in the allotted forty minutes. Now, Eli has been living in the Compound for six years and things start to go wrong not only with their food supply but also with living in the Compound in general. Eli begins to realize his father may have been lying to them all and he gets the internet to work all his suspicions are confirmed and his twin brother is alive. Eli has to figure out why his father would do this and how to save his family and get out of this Compound.

Megan says:

I found this story to be both suspenseful and riveting as it depicts deep philosophical questions on serious issues about what it means to survive; specifically, what are the ultimate boundaries of utilitarian ethics? Where do you draw the line between living and surviving? This story really made me think about a lot issues in society as a whole. On one hand I felt for Eli and pretty much was with him the entire ride, but on the other hand I took the time to see through the fathers eyes, which made this story very interesting as he was mad in the sense of being crazy. I would recommend The Compound to teens who like to read about real life family drama with suspense and apocalyptic attributes.

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★

Recently Released: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

PLOT: Fifteen-year-old Laurel has led a sheltered, homeschooled life in a very small town, so when her parents decide to move and enroll her in high school, she has trouble getting used to her new life. A life, as it turns out, that’s not at all like those of other kids. One clear sign is a winglike blossom that blooms on her back. Oh, and her new best friend, the scientifically minded David, reveals under a microscope that her cells are more plant than animal. But it takes an encounter at her old home with the handsome but decidedly different Tamani to convince her that she is a faerie. She also learns it’s up to her to save her land from the evil influences that are trying to take it away from her and her family. This first novel is clearly designed to attract the Twilight set, though there’s significantly less edge (and blood). There is, however, a familiar triangle. Will Laurel choose solid, steady David, or will she be unable to resist Tamani’s lure? Stay tuned. Fine escapist fare, this neatly mixes the everyday with the otherworldly.

Recently Released: The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong

PLOT: If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever. Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

Recently Released: Cathy's Ring by Sean Stewart

PLOT: Plucky, impulsive, go-get-'em-girl Cathy Vickers and her immortal boyfriend Victor are back with a half-assed bang in the series's third and (let's hope) final installment. Fans know the recipe already, with the story taking the form of Cathy's journal, complete with drawings, real phone numbers and websites meant to heighten readers' experience. This time, however, the plot feels thinner on thrills and heavier on convenient twists. The story: Cathy and company vow to take down the evil Ancestor Lu, who plots to destroy her family. The drama: Cathy tests Vincent's love when she's caught making out with Denny, her trustworthy human sidekick and the protective brother of slutty, two-faced Jewel, who stole Cathy's purse in the second book.

Recently Released: Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

PLOT: Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude. When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Waiting for Mind-Rain by Scott Westerfeld Publish Date: June 1, 2009

PLOT: In Extras, the last book in Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, Aya tells us that when Tally Youngblood made the mind-rain fall, it cured all the pretties and changed the world forever. But Tally and her friends did more than change their world; they changed ours too. Mind-Rain continues what Tally started, with startling, funny and insightful essays on the world, characters and ideas of the Uglies series, plus the short story that inspired Westerfeld to write the books in the first place. Think you know everything about Tally's world? After Mind-Rain, you'll never look at the Uglies series the same way again.

Waiting for Generations Dead: Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters Publish Date: May 12, 2009

PLOT: The phenomenon that's been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakville have banded together in a group they're calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation. Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.

Waiting for Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog Publish Date: June 23, 2009

PLOT: A captivating and witty dark fantasy that will have girls lusting after it. Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King. Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.

Waiting for Cathing Fire by Suzanne Collins Publish Date: September 01, 2009

Soon to be reviewed: The Beats: A Graphic History

PLOT: In The Beats: A Graphic History, those who were mad to live have come back to life through artwork as vibrant as the Beat movement itself. Told by the comic legend Harvey Pekar, his frequent artistic collaborator Ed Piskor, and a range of artists and writers, including the feminist comic creator Trina Robbins and the Mad magazine artist Peter Kuper, The Beats takes us on a wild tour of a generation that, in the face of mainstream American conformity and conservatism, became known for its determined uprootedness, aggressive addictions, and startling creativity and experimentation. What began among a small circle of friends in New York and San Francisco during the late 1940s and early 1950s laid the groundwork for a literary explosion, and this striking anthology captures the storied era in all its incarnations—from the Benzedrine-fueled antics of Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs to the painting sessions of Jay DeFeo’s disheveled studio, from the jazz hipsters to the beatnik chicks, from Chicago’s College of Complexes to San Francisco’s famed City Lights bookstore. Snapshots of lesser-known poets and writers sit alongside frank and compelling looks at the Beats’ most recognizable faces. What emerges is a brilliant collage of—and tribute to—a generation, in a form and style that is as original as its subject.