Matched by Ally Condie
reviewed by Sarah
This is a story about a girl named Cassia. In her society, teenagers are matched at age 17 and they find who they are most compatible with. Cassia's nervous about the big day and wishes her best friend Xander the best of luck. Cassia waits anxiously to see her match and is surprised and relieved when she sees that it is Xander. She receives a case which has additional information about Xander in it.
One day when she opens the case she sees another boy's face: Ky Markham. Cassia doesn't know who she is really matched with and who her true love is. She's closer to Xander but her relationship with Ky is growing and growing into something more. She's conflicted about her love and is doubtful about what her society really is and what it's hiding. If you enjoy this book there are also other books in this series, following this one, Crossed and Reached . I recommend this book to people that like to read speculative fiction and dystopian novels. This is a good read for many teenage readers and I recommend it to readers of all ages.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
reviewed by Sarah
Ender Wiggins is a child genius and is unbelievably strong. He has been watched for the majority of his life and is sent off to Battle School in outer space to train to fight in the war against the buggers and save humanity. Ender is only nine years old when he becomes a platoon leader in this school and can fight on professional level. He gets bullied by the bigger, less intelligent kids at this school due to his brilliance but he doesn't let it affect him too much. Ender proves to be the promising leader that world leader thought he would be and develops good fighting and thinking skills and is able to easily adapt into the Battle School and eventually, the command school life. Ender knows though that the buggers don't really want to fight the humans and he becomes determined to win the war and find them a home. This book is much like Insignia by S.J. Kincaid so I recommend it to those who like the Insignia series.
The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
reviewed by Sarah
Michael is a gamer on Virtnet, a virtual world in which one sleeps in a coffin and enters an virtual world that tests hacking and life skills but feels so realistic that it might as well be for real. This game is extremely addictive and allows people with money to enter their fantasy worlds, to risk their lives but not have to worry about the effects of dying because they come back to life anyways, and are just to have fun.
But things aren't always fun and games when in Virtnet. A mysterious gamer with hacking skills beyond human ability is brainwashing gamers one by one and his motive is unclear. Michael and his friends, Sarah and Bryon, are asked to find Kaine and bring him down, but lives are at stake. Gamers are entering Virtnet and never leaving a trace of their existence. Sarah, Bryon, and Michael are now putting their own lives at stake, and Kaine knows their coming and will do everything in his power to stop them. For fans of the Maze Runner series, your favorite author is back, better than ever. This book is action packed and very adventurous and I recomend it to all teenagers that want a good free read.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
reviewed by Sarah
Colin has only dated Katherines. In fact, he's dated a total of 19 Katherines. And he's been dumped by every single one of them. This time, he's suffering from the break-up of his 19th Katherine, the one he had been in love with for the longest. Finally out of his depression, he and his friend Hassan embark on a road trip that stops once they reach the town of Gutshot. Colin is a child prodigy and to many people a genius, but he doesn't see himself as a genius. To Colin, a prodigy copies what geniuses have done and genius must create something original. Colin doesn't want to be just another prodigy. He wants to be a genius, and he wants a Eureka moment.
Colin and Hassan stay in Gunshot under the roof of one of their new friends, Lindsay. Colin attempts to make a equation about his theory of love that will help him predict the outcome of a relationship. He thinks that this could earn him the true title of genius. Colin mainly focuses on his theorem but he starts to fall in love with Lindsay who happens to have another boyfriend, coincidentally by the name of Colin. I highly recommend this book to teenagers who want a good laugh and a love story.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
reviewed by Sarah
Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory of the Russian Revolution. On Mr. Jones' Manor Farm in England, there is the start of a revolution. Old Major, a prize wining boar, calls a meeting of all the animals in the barn. He addresses the issue of animal injustice. Old Major tells these animals about a dream, a dream where all animals live in peace together without humans to oppress them. These animals take into consideration what Old Major says and three days later Old Major dies and is butchered. This sparks a revolution. The animals drive Mr. Jones and his wife off their farm and decided to run their own farm and carry on Old Major's dream. They follow the principles of their so-called animalism and prosper with their new leadership, the pigs. Animals now live without conflict and without human control but how different really are these animals and humans?
I enjoyed this story a lot and hope many other readers of all ages will also appreciate and understand it.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'engle
reviewed by Sarah
Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and friend Calvin are outcasts and just want to be normal. One night a stranger comes to the Murry 's house and brings the three children on a mystical, extraordinary, and perilous adventure through time and into a distant universe. Their fate lies in their ability to defeat an evil brain, IT, who uses its powers to brainwash everyone and to rescue Meg and Charles Wallace's father. This is a fantastical adventure classic that has earned its place on many bookshelves. I recommend this classic to everyone and it is a book every well read person needs to read.
Posted by library at August 21, 2014 11:59 AM