Pitch Dark by Courtney Alameda

Feiwel and Friends, 2018  Pub date 03/2018
compliments of the publisher via Netgalley

"pitch-dark
adjective
     extremely or completely dark"
(https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/pitch-dark)


The year: 2087
Ship: USS John Muir

This ship is part of a group of ships jettisoned into outerspace  during the Exodus.

Tuck wakes up from stasis in a fog of questions.  The first thing he notices is the year: 2433.  Nearly four hundreds year of stasis has wrecked havoc on his physical self, which he desperately needs right now.  Because he has come face-to-face with a horrible bony, twitchy, and deadly alien that looks weirdly human.  The crew of the John Muir have either survived or evolved and a deadly war of survival is happening on a decrepit ship manned by no one but the AI, Dejah, and the ability to speak to each other silently through brain-embedded chips.  And silence is the key to survival against the griefers, mourners, and other monsters lurking everywhere.  Then he meets....

The year: 2435
Ship: Conquistador

This ship is an exploratory vessel aimed at finding viable soil and planets to re-establish humanity.  Earth is now dead, thanks to the terrorist plot Pitch Dark, and this ship, run by the Cruz family with the Smithson family as passengers, is one of their last hopes.

Laura (pronounced low-ra) has no fear except for one: Sebastian Smithson, heir to the powerful family who curates prized artifacts.  Her fear isn't based on him per se, but on the subjugator they have implanted in her, giving them total control over what she does.  But not tonight...she is hacking the system in order to free herself from this technology and tell her family and Mami, captain of the ship, about the mutiny the Smithsons are planning.  They've just found an age-old ship carrying extremely valuable cargo, which holds the key to humanity.  But then she sees the insignia of Pitch Dark appear before collision course between the two ships begins....

Survivors from two very different ships and times, Tuck and Laura meet and form a union to not only save themselves from the horrors within their ships, but also to ensure extinction of their race doesn't happen.  But they must fight not only physical monsters, but also the espionage of the Pitch Dark group, and the power struggle happening between families.  It's enough  to divide, but can they conquer?

Wowowowowowow....talk about edge of the seat reading!!  Alameda creates a interstellar world of two different ages of humanity that still mirror each other in their will to survive and control.  The monsters on the Muir are uniquely embodied human/monsters with destructive power created through the errors of humanity itself.  What makes this novel a standout isn't only the amazing narrative and storyline Alameda creates, but also the diversity she embues in the characters, where the main characters come from a proud line of Latino lineage.  This is a novel that will quickly become part of a lot of "TBR" lists and more.  HIGHLY recommended JH/HS.

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

2017, Crown Books for Young Readers

The Tower of Babel was created to reach the sky and it could only do something like this because mankind spoke the same language....

In the world of tomorrow, a new world, Genesis 11, has been found that is compatible to earth.  But what used to take years to get there, it only takes months now, thanks to the Babel Corporation.  And Babel has also found a highly lucrative mineral with endless possibilities.  Nyxia, a black substance, is an object that can be manipulated by your mind to create whatever you'd like, from a translator to a bullet-proof wall.

Emmett Atwater can't believe he was chosen.  Not only will he get to go to a new planet, Emmett also has added benefits, including his family and himself being taken care of for life. Coming from a struggling family and a mother who is slowly dying, Emmett does it out of love.  And he boards the ship.

When he boards the ship created and equipped with highly trained Babel Corporation staff, he finds out he's not the only one who has been selected.  There are nine others including Longwei, a highly competitive person; Jazzy, a girl from Georgia; and Azima, a strong girl from Africa and one of the last of her nomadic tribe.  They will be trained to work and survive on Genesis 11 as they mine nyxia during the duration of the space travel.  All ten are put through rigourous tests, including mind and body.  And they are also vying for position...only a few will make it to the finals.  The rest who don't will have most benefits taken away and sent back to earth.

For Emmett, this isn't an option.  He knows he has to make it or his mother will die.  But each member of the group of ten have their own personal reasons to make it as well.  But not all of them will, and some won't even survive the trip....

Another thing they don't know are the secrets the Babel Corporation is hiding from them.  There is a problem with nyxia, one with deadly outcomes.  On top of that are the inhabitants of the planet aren't friendly to outsiders.  But Babel has plans....

And like the story, the tower will topple and create chaos...

This novel is PACKED with action, suspense, and mystery to compel readers to find out what will happen next.  The reader is fortunate to become an outside observer of all the difficult training happening, as well as the mindsets and secret partnerships that are happening behind each other's backs.  The characters have very different personalities, leaving the reader wondering if what they're seeing is the truth or a cover.  Reading this is like taking a roller coaster ride where you never know if the seat belt is secure or not.  AMAZING science fiction read for all secondary JH/HS.  Highly recommended!  A plus?  It's a series!!!  

15 Science Fiction Reads for Young Adults

A list of great sci-fi for teens, including sequels and link to pdf 

Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh.  2016, Delacorte Press

Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.  2015, Alfred A. Knopf. Sequel Gemina, 2016 

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid.  2016, Simon & Schuster

The Fever Code by James Dashner.  2016, Delacorte Press

Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig.  2015, Gallery Books.  Sequel The Map of Bones 2016

Where Futures End by Parker Peevyhouse.  2016, Kathy Dawson Books.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman.  2016, Simon & Schuster

Replica by Lauren Oliver.  2016, Harper Collins
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer.  2016, Feiwel and Friends

Mr. Fahrenheit by T. Michael Martin.  2016, Balzer + Bray

Alive by Scott Sigler.  2015, Del Rey.  Sequel Alight 2016

Dark Energy by Robison Wells.  2016, HarperCollins

Legend: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu.  2015, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Flawed by Cecilia Ahern.  2016, Feiwel and Friends.

The Taking by Kimberly Derting  2014, Harper Collins.  Sequels: Replaced, 2016; The Countdown, 2016.

Sketchnoting a book review: Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

2015, Knopf

I've been delving into the fascinating world of sketchnoting, and have been practicing my skills (and trust me, you should see the very first one I created....practice does help!)  I've seen professor Karin Perry from Sam Houston State University do book reviews via sketchnotes and decided to try it out. 

What is NOT in the sketchnote is my personal review. So this is what I think of this book:

WOWOWOW!!!  This is 599 pages of intense plot, conflict, and survival all set in a science fiction thrillfest based on documents, journals, e-mails, imessages, and high security reports... and even concrete poetry.  The format itself is enough to draw the reader in and it reads fast because of this.  The characters are an excellent mix of adults and teens, which makes this science fiction novel so believable.  Adding diagrams of the ships adds a deeper dimension for the readers as well as their mode of travel through wormholes.  This is a deep space chase that will grab you to turn the next page to see what happens.  Huge twist at the end - VERY unexpected!  One of the top 10 best books I've read this year! 
Highly recommended for JH/HS. 

Silver by Chris Wooding

Scholastic Press, 2013
Adam, Paul, Mark, Erika and Caitlyn….all of them attend Mooringham Boarding Academy. These students have a web of relationships from enemies to friends, love to hate. The one thing that binds them together is the solitude of the Academy. Cell phones don’t have signals, and the nearest town is  a long walk no student is interested in. But the academy has more than enough to keep their students academically challenged, well-fed and healthy. Mr. Harrison, the headmaster, is not very pleased with Paul, the newest student to the Academy. Together, they possess a relationship of disdain and noncommittal acknowledgement of each other.

One day, Mr. Sutton, a mild-mannered science teacher, take his students out to the fields to find insects and it’s here where one of his students encounters a peculiar beetle. And that single small beetle is the beginning of the nightmare for those who survive the rampant horror and death at Mooringham Boarding Academy.

Those who are lucky aren’t bitten. Those who are begin a strange metamorphosis. Their skin begins to turn silver and their veins look more like tech cables. Slowly, the bitten are losing their humanity to become zombie-like cyborgs with one mission in mind – create new machines for the collective. Adam uses his brute strength to fight while Paul becomes a leader through quick thinking. Mark lets his intelligence protect him and the others while Erika’s physical traits gets her further along in the game. And then there’s Caitlyn….

If you have readers who need the next sci-fi for young adults, hand them this book. A page-turner from start to finish, Wooding comes back into the world of YA with another great story that will create even more followers to his other books. The imagery he writes about is one that I could easily picture in Technicolor in my mind. Wooding runs that gamut from horror to romance, nanotechnology to humanity in one thrill fest of a read. What is equally rewarding are the characters Wooding creates, which makes this a read for both genders. It left me with the question, “Will there be a sequel?” Recommended for JH-HS

Paired fiction: Variant by Robison Wells Being by Kevin Brooks
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-mQi9MlKVA

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Delacorte Press, 2014

It started with a fishing trip and a ripple in the air….

Prenna was one of the lucky ones.  She was able to escape the blood plague, but not without its consequences on her family.  But now, she lives comfortably, still amazed at how much life has changed.  Although she still has a habit of swatting mosquitoes that spread the virus, it hasn’t happened yet.  She now lives in the time before the destruction of the planet that occurs in the 2070s. 

Although Prenna should be content with life in a virus-free world, she still holds the flame of challenge against the community, wanting questions answered she knows won’t happen.  There are rules the committee enforces on the members ( never reveal to anyone who you are or where you come from; never be intimate with anyone outside of their community to name a few) and seeing Mr. Roberts for sessions when she goes too close to the line of disobedience.  She also knows stories of people who have defied the community’s rules – and have now disappeared.  Soon, Prenna begins experiencing flashbacks and sees objects and places that are familiar to her from her previous life time, which makes her even more curious.  There weren’t supposed to be any….

Ethan remembers the girl at the river.  He saw the ripple in the air around her and knew she was different.  Now, a few years later, they’ve gone from strangers to friends with Ethan remembering every little event and Prenna not remembering any of it.  He decides it’s best to leave well enough alone as he tries hard to not cross the line between friendship and relationship.  Although he’s known her for awhile, she still has a mysteriousness to her he can’t quite figure out. But Ethan holds other secrets from Prenna, which will change their relationship and who they are. 

Then the elusive homeless man appears in their lives, telling Prenna things about the her past and future she can’t ignore as mere coincidence.  All it takes is one providential meeting and both she and Ethan are propelled into a new reality of trying to save the world instead of just living in it.  But it also means sacrifice in so many ways, and those are the things that will hurt both of them the most.

Ann Brashares writes a riveting novel about time travel that will pull readers along with the characters and plot.  The separate timelines of the main character are written seamlessly, making the situation more believable and the future bleaker with every page turned.  Although the beginning took off a little slow for myself, the interactions between characters as well as the unraveling of the plot steadily developed into a novel I had to know the end to.  And Brashares doesn’t disappoint.  If you have fans of science fiction and time travel, recommend this to them. 

Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

2013, Soho Teen

Three teens living three very different lives have one thing in common, and it will be this commonality that will drive them together.

17 year-old Anat is an Israeli being trained as a soldier.  She knows there will be consequences for her actions, but she doesn't care.  With planning and stealth, she's ready to leave her homeland to be with the love of her life, an Egyptian who's waiting for her on the other side. She's paid her way through a tunnel leading her to freedom, but little does she know the dangers that await her, until it's too late...

17 year-old Declan is a typical Irish teenager trying to make some extra cash.  All he has to do is take a package from one place to another, which doesn't seem that hard.  Until he notices two men trailing him.  The more he speeds up, the more they gain on him. Declan hits a brick wall, literally, and when he turns around, the men are holding guns and the bullets begin flying...

17 year old Sophie lies in bed weak and exhausted. Her family hovers nearby and all she wants is for it all to end.  Terminal cancer keeps her being the normal teen she wants to be, but it also left her with no option.  Now, in a hospital, Sophie knows it's only a matter of time.  And then the darkness begins...

All three wake up in a hospital they don't recall ever seeing.  When they venture out into the hall, they realize there are no doctors or nurses, only a hall with rows of doors.  They don't know each other, and there isn't a lot of trust in this situation, only confusion.  Its becomes even more confusing with the three venture upon three more people who have been there much longer than they have.

The world has changed.  It's not safe outside, but every one of them realizes they must get out there if they are to escape this prison of a hospital.  No one knows what truly lurks out in the dense overgrowth, but the risk is worth the escape.  Six people who have to rely on each other for survival....one person could end their lives.  Who can you trust?

Michelle Gagnon writes a science fiction book based on time continuum and parallels, which creates this strange new world readers will find themselves in without feeling lost.  The sense the book evokes is more mystery blended with science fiction, and that is the pairing that makes this book a fast read.  Gagnon's ability to write about six distinct teens creates a diverse canvas where each reader can pick and choose the character they feel are the strongest, and which ones will fall, and ultimately, which one the reader can trust. With such a vibrant background along with the characterization, there is no wonder why this book is a big draw for teen readers.  Recommended 7-12

Unremembered by Jessica Brody AND Throwback Thursday!!

Macmillan, 2013
She woke up in a sea of dead people, clinging to a piece of debris.  The only survivor of Flight 121, she was rescued and taken to California.  People wondered how she survived with barely a scratch on the surface.  But under the surface, there is damage.  She can't remember her name, where she lives....nothing.  Her memories have all disappeared.  There is one thing that survived with her.  A pendant with nothing in it, but a piece of paper with strange markings, numbers she can't decipher, and the word "trust."

They dubbed this beautiful girl Violet because of her eyes.  Amidst the paparazzi, she tries to cling to reality and hope, but without any memories to aid her, Violet is hopelessly lost in re-learning things that should come naturally.  When Violet is finally released from the hospital, Social Services puts her in the care of a foster family, remote from all cameras and hubbub.  Violet enjoys her family, especially Cody, her 13 year old "brother."  She is struggling to remember her past, and with the help of Cody, she begins down a journey of discovery.  First the airport and the reason why her name wasn't on the manifesto.  Then the internet and conspiracy theory sites.  But nothing seems to jog her memory...until she meets Lyzender.

He calls her Sera and tells her to trust no one except him.  Although she doesn't want to, Sera can't help but feel a connection, both physically and emotionally, with him.  How does he know about her locket?  What else does he know?

Soon her life is turned upside down.  At first she notices subtle things, such as her ability to speak many languages and solve extremely difficult mathematical equations.  But when strangers begin chasing her, her only instinct is to run...  Will she ever be able to understand her past, her future, and her present?

Jessica Brody writes an incomparable science fiction book blended with a sense of mystery.  The beginning of the book will grab the reader simply because they will want to know who Violet is, and why she survived.  The more you read, the deeper the intrigue becomes, and that is what compels the reader forward.  Brody handles the nuances of science fiction well without being over the top.  Like the main characters, the reader will not know who to trust and not trust, which builds a memorable relationship between author and reader.  This is great science fiction writing teens will gravitate to. This first in a series and recommended



And what better way to re-introduce the past than by pairing it with another excellent science fiction book by Mary E. Pearson.  Written in 2008, this book has a lot of the same characteristics as Brody's but with a completely different spin.  Pearson has since rekindled this book by writing a sequel, The Fox Inheritance (2011, Henry Holt) as part of the Jenna Fox Chronicles.  Below is a book trailer I created back in 2008 for Pearson's book....this is definitely a throwback to my early days of book trailer creations! 

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate

published by Feiwel and Friends, 2012

Eve has lived a life of privilege and loss. She has no boyfriend, hardly any friends, and her focus is on school.  Her father died in a tragic accident, leaving her only with her mother.  Her only friend, Aislin, couldn't be more opposite of her and needs Eve to rescue her.  The two are ying and yang, but in a very good way.  The only thing that has ever come between them is the cold and untouchable Terra Spiker....Eve's mother. 

Terra is a brilliant scientist and the brains and power behind Spiker Biopharmaceuticals, a cutting edge medical industry melded with technology.  And it's there that Eve is sent after she is in a fatal accident that crushes her leg and leaves her comatose. 

When Eve finally wakes up bandaged but functioning, she is told by her mother that she is to stay at the Spiker complex for a few weeks to recover.  Eve is cut off from her best friend and has no one to interact with...until she meets Solo...

Solo lives at Spiker Pharmaceuticals and has only known the complex.  He knows the reasons he's here - more a charity case than a legal guardianship to Terra Spiker.  He's never really known the outside world, and when Eve comes to the complex, his life takes on a decidedly different turn.  He's curious about her....in fact, she's the only person his age he's ever really come into physical contact with.  Solo has secrets, but more than that, he knows secrets....

In order to ease the boredom of recovery, Eve's mother introduces her to an advanced genetics video game that is under consideration for marketing.  The game allows the user to create their own human from the ground up, selecting DNA and genetics to create perfection.  Eve sets to work, and Solo silently watches the progress.  Little do they know what's truly being put into Eve's hands or the mastermind behind what Spiker Pharmaceuticals is hiding.

Set in today's time in San Francisco, this book is a science thriller from start to finish.  The two dominant voices written by two distict authors creates a layer of intrigue for the reader because that is the only one who knows the thoughts and actions of Eve and Solo.  This type of book is rare to come by...not quite dystopia but with the elements for the possibility of that kind of society...a pre-cursor, if you will.  The other characters in the book create a rich backdrop for the action and relationships that soon start to form and each character begins to unpeel the layers surrounding Eve and Solo as well as their involvement in the entire plot.  Although I'm not a huge reader of science-based fiction, I devoured this one.  Loved it!  If you like books such as Werlin's Double Helix. Bodeen's The Gardener or Brooks's Being, this is one to pick.  Recommended for high school. 

Human.4 by Michael A. Lancaster

We don’t know what happened to Kyle Straker.  All there is left is a cassette tape.  Old technology – worthless in today’s society of the 21^st century and the upgrades we’ve done…

For Kyle, it all started on a summer day in the small village of Millgrove.  The local talent show, a tradition for this town of 1,000, was about to start, and Kyle, his best friend Simon, and Simon’s girlfriend Lilly wanted to see if Danny Birnie could actually hypnotize people.  But no one volunteered, so Kyle did. 

It was this decision that propelled him into the unbelievable, enough to drive a person insane…

When Kyle comes out of his hypnotic state, he realizes something isn’t right.  Every one on the green isn’t moving.  Televisions, telephones, and computers aren’t working.  Weird green symbols flash onto the screens of  the computer he checks – it looks more like an alphabet, but he isn’t sure. 

And then the village awakens.  And it’s what they’ve become.  Human or inhuman?  And what about Kyle, Lilly and the other two that were hypnotized?  What did they miss? But more importantly, what have they themselves become? 

Kyle soon pieces together the only parts he knows how to and what he and the others discover is something they can’t even comprehend.  But Danny, their off-kilter friend knows the truth, and he gives them a choice.  Follow or be erased….

Lancaster takes dystopia to a new level in this science fiction thriller that’s sure to catch the attention of the reader.  The plot line is quick and will definitely grab the reader’s attention from the very first page.  Lancaster pulls together an assortment of writing devices, which only lends to the “authenticity” of this book, which is actually the oldest form of communication for those who haven’t been upgraded.  From a dictionary, to expert analyses, from flashbacks taken from the cassette tape, to the editor’s note, all of these are combined within the novel to slowly build tension for the reader, making it one of those books that can’t be put down.  Excellent for junior high and high school collections – it won’t disappoint sci-fi readers!

Brain Jack by Brian Falkner

It's the future of the United States. A place where black-market and side alley deals are made for video games...a place where computers and their peripherals are high commodities. There is no Las Vegas, and Sam knows he's the one responsible for the downfall of the United States....

It started out harmlessly. A little hack to get some free neuro headsets for him and his best friend Fargas. Sam knew the hack was easy, but he still couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching. And then the invitation arrived. Neoh@ck would invite him to the elite of the elite if he could find their con. What did he have to do? Crack the firewall of the White House and find the virtual con. Sam did, and now the feds are knocking on his door.

But there is more to it than meets the virtual eye. Sam runs into Dodge while incarcerated and makes a daring plan to escape. And his escape turns into the a proposition he can't refuse, working on what he does best. One that means life or death, protection of countries and their resources and governments, and a battle against Ursula, a virtual being that wants to take control of not only the what Sam and the crew are trying to protect, but of people as well, using the only means available to her...neuro headsets.

WOWOW!!! Okay, this isn't quite a word you'd use for a review, but from the beginning I was hooked. Brian Falkner writes a YA thriller that does exactly what he set out to do - thrill the reader. A dystopian novel in a very futuristic, realistic way, Falkner writes about the dangers of the future involving technology, and one that could quite conceivably happen. Sam is one of those teens we all know...an extremely bright and talented person who walks, talks and lives for technology. He is vibrant, intuitive, and leaps off the pages as well as the other characters in this novel. The prologue will capture and the book will follow suit.
I requested a guy read on the floor of ALA...the next best novel that will capture this audience. The rep at Random House handed me this...Brian Falkner's book will too with the guys. Due out late September.

The Gardener by S.A.Bodeen

Living in Melby Falls surrounded by the almighty corporation TroDyn can change the way you view your future, and this is especially true for Mason. He sees what the corporation has done to his mother and wants no part of it. Mason plans to attend Standford and get out of town, but there’s a catch….he doesn’t have the money for Stanford unless he gets a scholarship that requires him to work for TroDyn. Mason is in a catch-22. But one night changes his entire life….

Mason knew his mother was keeping secrets, but he didn’t know how big those secrets were. When he opens his mother’s private documents, the secrets she’s been hiding from him confuses him even more…and they all involve TroDyn. Mason decides to confront his mother at work, and when he gets there he sees something very creepy. Accidentally, he awakens one of them and when she begs for help, he takes her, one of TroDyn’s best kept experimental secrets, with him. And the chase begins…

I’ve been wanting to read this book, and it was a pleasant surprise to see it on my front door when I came home one day. Combining science with fiction, S.A. Bodeen has written another great YA thriller. The topics this author has taken on are not in the regular norm of topics, but that’s what makes her stand out in the crowd. She takes the bleak scenario of the world food bank vs. the world population explosion and creates a fictionalized scientific way to combat that, but then continues to explore what would happen if could be used in an ulterior way the experiment was created for. Students who’ve read The Compound or enjoy YA thrillers, will want to pick this up. Perfect for all middle and high school readers.

The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle

Martin knows that spring is upon his neighborhood. How? Because everyone is switching their decals to the spring flowers. He remembers his grandmother telling him about strange creatures with wings that filled the sky, but surely, her mind was skipping…there hasn’t been anything like that. The only thing in the sky is the bubble with the clouds painted on them while bots go around checking the integrity of their “slice of paradise.”

Martin knows he and his family are the lucky ones that escaped from the outside to be contained in the world created for them. He lives with his parents and his new and improved Wonderbaby sister and for his birthday he gets an Alldog, a robo dog, for his birthday. In his world, the story of Peter Pan is about a lawyer battling Hook, a CEO; and everyday everyone votes live on choices the President presents. c

But things are not as they seem, especially when Martin discovers the underworld and the bots the government is putting into houses to monitor them. With his new Alldog, he begins to discover some horrible truths – including what happens when residents leave or try to leave their colony – and what is really happening in the world and the “normal” life he lives now.

If you are looking to find a science fiction book that looks at a world filled with politics and deceit, look no further. Dunkle has created a realistic world in which member of society willingly follow and trust what’s going on in order to live the life of ease. This is a book easily read and followed, even for non science fiction readers. Although not as “in your face” as other sci-fi books for older readers, this one can easily be used from early junior high to high school. Recommended.

Gone by Michael Grant

The small community of Perdido Beach has long been named Fallout Alley because of the nuclear power plant built ten miles up the road. On a typical day, Sam, Astrid, Quinn and Edilio are in class. Sam and Quinn are making plans to ride surf waves while Astrid figuring out the next AP Physics questions. And then….
Poof! The teacher disappears
No one really knows what happens at first glance, but slowly realization sets in. The adults – all of them – are gone. And with that realization come great challenges and responsibilities. What happens in a world when everyone over the age of 15 disappears? Who takes control and who creates chaos? These are just some questions already coming to the forefront of everyone’s minds, but more than that, at the moment, is the chance to indulge in every kid’s fantasy….total disorder with no consequences.
But when reality sets in, from finding dead babies forgotten at home to trying to put out an apartment building fire, the kids and teens start looking for a natural leader, and Sam is put on the forefront. It’s not something he wants to do, and is challenged at the beginning by the bullies in town, especially Orc, who wields power through intimidation.
Sam, Astrid, Quinn and Edilio begin the long journey of trying to find out what happened and soon come against a barrier around their town. Is it something that barricades them from the outside world or are they in an alternate universe? No one knows for sure; the only thing they understand is they are isolated.
Along with the isolation, some of the kids are experiencing some strange manifestations, including the ability to teleport, start fires, read minds and defy gravity. But with power comes great responsibility, and when students from the private Coates Academy with even greater power and less morals descend into town and begin to take over….
The book begins with intensity and slowly loses that intensity only for it to pick up again with the denouement. The reader gets to see distinct personalities early in the book and decide which side of the line the characters fall, with some of them even surprising the reader. An excellent pair with Lord of the Flies, Michael Grant creates the science fiction version of a world gone awry when the only people left to create a new society are kids.

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

“Lia Kahn is dead”
“I am Lia Kahn.
Therefore – because this is a logic problem even a dim-witted child could solve – I am dead.
Except here’s the thing: I’m not.”

Lia has it all…beauty, a boyfriend, the most popular friends, a wealthy family, and a ViM (virtual machine) full of networked friends and a lifetime of vids. But in a blink of an eye, all is lost when an accident nearly kills her. Lia’s last memory as a human is the smell of burning flesh…
When she wakes up in a hospital, Lia is relieved to find out she survived that freak accident, but her nightmare only starts to begin when she realizes the truth. She is no longer human, but a mech-head, a skinner….her brain sliced and diced to program a computer instead. Not breath, no heartbeat, no hunger, no emotions – the only thing left of her is the essence of who she was. Even her body and face have been completely altered. And she’ll remain like this forever, uploading her memories every night before shutting down and hoping that her life can return to normal.

But can it? What exactly is Lia Kahn now? Does she still have human rights, or are those rights reserved? Her friends, her boyfriend…even her family don’t know how to treat her. Lia is caught between being a futuristic monster with the memories of a once real person and trying her hardest to be the only person she knows how to be. Even the Faithers are after her, believing that she is not a creature created by God, but an indecent machine created by man.

And during this time, she meets two very special people who will forever change her. One is human….the other a mech-head…and the decision she will ultimately make for herself and them will alter her “life” in so many ways….

Intense, thought-provoking and realistically written, this book takes the reader into the future and how changes of the power of technology in our daily lives alter us. Wasserman’s book will transport the reader to the future of America, where everything from the presidency to school life is dramatically different as we travel in Lia’s shoes. One can’t help comparing this to Pearson’s Adoration of Jenna Fox, but this is far more intense, with helplessness the only alternative in this disturbing tale of “utopia”. A must-read for any young adult who’s never read science fiction to those that devour it.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

SPOILER ALERT!! This trailer contains parts of the book you may want to read BEFORE YOU WATCH THIS!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

How much can you retain of your physical self before you're not "you" anymore? Eighty percent? Fifty percent? Ten percent? And if you had only a certain percentage of yourself left, is your soul still intact?

Jenna Fox has been adored and loved by her parents since she was a baby. Every step she made, every accomplishment she's ever done has been recorded on video - and Jenna watches every year she was alive, up to her sixteenth year. The thing is, she can't remember anything she watches.

Jenna wakes up from a coma after a year and her life and memory has altered. Her diet is different, her grandmother pushes her out of arms' reach, and her mother has become more protective than ever. All Jenna wants is a normal life, and the first step is going back to school.

There she meets several "outcasts" in an alternative school, where the big topics are Thoreaus' Walden Pond and the responsibility of the FSEB, the Federal Science Ethics Board.

Jenna slowly begins to recall memories and she struggles to find out what happened her seventeenth year. And then it hits her - the accident, the smell of death, her wanting to die - and the secret her parents have been keeping from her comes out. JWhat she finds out is that the only part of her is the true Jenna Fox - the rest of lab-created. Jenna doesn't know what she is - human or a science project.

Set in the future, this book deals with the possibility of science and medicine and what happens when science begins to slowly take over. It's a world of mutations, medical advances and questions of how far is too far? A crisp-written book that will make the reader wonder what will happen to Jenna and how she handles her life inside her own skin or as an back-up in a computer. Do memories make a person, or is it more than that?