THE RISE OF NINE

     This book is the start of the end where all numbers have been found but five and a number ten has showed up. Numbers 4-10 are alive and the bad dudes are trying to kill the rest of the numbers so that their race can't come back. The numbers are called Loriens and the bad dudes are called mogadorians or mogs for short. They are trying to regroup and then go fight the mog leader Setrakus Ra so they can go back and save the planet the mogs have almost destroyed. 

     This is a great work done by the mysterious author Pittacus Lore. It is very good at emphasizing the saying, "United we stand, divided we fall." I really liked this book for its morals but it also has a great story line and is written amazingly. 

     This is a book I would read any time and it was probably my favorite. I would recommend it to anyone but my dad. I can't wait for the last one to come out and I will definitely be reading it. If anyone finds out who the real author is it would be great to know.

Ruby Red

By: Kerstin Gier

           Gweneth Shepard's family has never been normal.  Her cousin Charlotte has been prepared through out her life to travel in time.  Now as Charlotte turns sixteen she is expected to make her first journey into the past.  Everything changes when Gweneth (not Charlotte) unexpectedly travels into the past in the middle of class.  As it turns out Gweneth's mother lied about her birth date, making her the one with the ability to travel in time.           

           

            Once this fact is revealed Gweneth is thrown into an entirely different world of secrets and magic.  She meets the only other time traveler, eighteen-year-old Gideon de Villiers.  She now is able to control where she travels in time, and must work to uncover the secrets that have been following her through this whole experience.

I really love this book.  The way it is written is just brilliant.  Most books I have read that involve time travel just go way too deep into the subject and the “laws” of time travel, which ends up just confusing me.  Also, the character development and pacing is just phenomenal.  The way you see the characters and their differences in the whole situation couldn’t be written better.          

This book brings up the big idea of time travel in today’s world.  Set in present day London it suggest that their might actually be people or technology that is able to travel in time.  I have always been fascinated by the thought of time travel and to hear other people’s ideas on the subject was just amazing.    

In short, this book is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone.  Although, be aware this book was originally written in German then translated into English so there are a few lines that don’t sound quite right but for the most part it is absolutely flawless.  I’ll give it an A+ any day.

Catching Fire

         Firstly, I would just like to say that this is by far my favorite book ever. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is definitely a science fiction book. The main-theme of this awesome book is its controlling government. There are some things that you need to know before you read it, though. Number one is that in the first book of this series, The Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark, and Katniss Everdeen have won the games. Number two, they have made the government angry. And when I say angry, I mean creating uprisings left and right angry. Those are the two most important points that you will need to know.

       Panem is celebrating their 75th anniversary. And, every 25 years, there is The Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell is when the winners of every year, for the past 25 years fight to the death- literally. So against all odds, Peeta and Katniss get to go back into the arena with their mentor, Haymitch. As they fight in the arena, they find things out about the arena, and the government that will change the game for everyone.
     
       Before you read this book, you should probably read the first book. I promise, it will make a lot more sense if you do. After you read this book, there is another one called, Mockingjay. But, that's a whole different story. Out of all of the books in the series, this one is by far my favorite.

       Suzanne Collins creates a world in which it is impossible to escape. You will never want to put it down. It's that good. I think that the biggest issue this book brings up is government. If the government is good, then the rest of the society will be good, and vise versa. I loved this book so much and I could read it over and over again without getting bored. Its words captivate you into its pages without you even realizing it. This book is amazing. I give this book and A+.

I Am Number Four

    Pittacus Lore was very creative in writing I Am Number Four. It is a book unlike any other I have read. It's science fiction with quite a bit of adventure and just a dash of romance. It's about aliens. So, if you like that kind of stuff, I would recommend this book. It focuses on love and hope, without being mushy. John is one of nine Garde children sent to Earth with their guardians, Cepan. Garde are basically the soldiers on John's home planet, Lorien, and have "Legacies," which are kinds of superpowers. Lorien was attacked by the Mogadorians and the Garde kids and Cepan were sent to Earth as Lorien's only hope of keeping their race alive. The nine kids can only be killed in order because of a charm. The Mogadorian have killed three and John is Number Four.

    John Smith is a new student in Paradise, Ohio. Henri, John's Cepan, decided to move there after Three died because it's a small town and the Mogadorians can't go unnoticed by John and Henri that way. John goes to school and quickly becomes friends with Sam, a kid obsessed with aliens and conspiracy theories, and Sarah, a beautiful and kind girl. Sarah's ex-boyfriend, Mark, didn't become friends with John immediately however. He enjoys picking on John and Sam, and doesn't know about John's superhuman strength, speed, or legacies. One night however, Mark goes too far and John uses his legacies to beat him and his friends up. Sam saw John use superpowers and starts to avoid him at school. John confronts him about it and Sam says he thought John was an alien. They laugh it off and continue being friends.

    John, Sam and Sarah all go to a Halloween festival where Sam tells John and Henri about an article in Sam's alien conspiracy magazine, They Walk among Us, that said the Mogadorians were on a quest of universal domination and had wiped out one planet. Earth was next and they were looking for human weakness. John and Henri are interested in it because of the accuracy of the story. Henri decides to research the publishers more and go to visit them in Athens, Ohio. Sarah and John's relationship progresses and soon John goes to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. When Henri doesn't show up, John starts to panic and goes to find Sam for help. They need to find Henri and keep the Mogadorians away from John.

    This book made me think about our planet and how amazing it really is. The book isn't really a "Save the trees!" kind of book, but if we destroy our planet, we have no other options. It's the one and only Earth we've been able to find. If we, like the Mogadorians, use all our natural resources too fast and fill our planet with waste, we will end up like the Mogadorians, planet-less and searching for a new way to survive. It might not necessarily include universe domination, but you catch my drift.

    Another thing I thought was well put by this book is that there are many kinds of love. John experiences love for Sarah, Henri, Sam, Lorien and Earth. They aren't the same kind of love at all though. His love for Henri is like the love I have for my father. He is devoted to his planet, even though it isn't really there anymore. I'm just glad there is a young adult book that expresses many loves and not just a boyfriend, girlfriend kind of love. After awhile of those books, I feel like I need to wash my brain. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them every now and then, I Am Number Four just had a nice combination and I enjoyed reading it. 

    Overall, this book was pretty good. I enjoy reading, and I have read many books that I can't function or think about other things without finishing it. Kind of sadly, this was not one of those books. I mean, it was a good book, for sure. Maybe I had just heard so many great things about it that I had higher expectations for it. I thought it was just kind of "Meh." I would recommend this book to people, it's just not a top book in my list of favorites. I think I would give this book a B. But again, if you enjoy science fiction and adventure, I would read this book.

The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters

       The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner is about a boy named Tick (short for Atticus Higgenbottom.) He is the smartest kid in his class.
       One day, Tick receives a strange letter, sent by someone with the initials M.G. The letter says that "things are literally splitting apart at the seams," and, "many lives are at stake." It also states that Tick will begin to receive a series of twelve clues, which he must decipher before a certain date. However, if he doesn't want to continue, all he must do is burn this letter.
        One by one, Tick gets the letters, and tries to solve the clues contained within them. Though some of the letters seem pointless, M.G.,  the person sending the letters, says that everything is a clue.
       As Tick races to unravel the mysteries of the letters, he is faced with sinister creatures and machines, such as Tingle Wraiths and Gnat Rats. Will Tick be able to make sense of the clues before the special date? Will he figure out the identity of M.G.? Will he survive whatever's coming to him? Well, I don't want to spoil the book for you, so I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out.
       Now, for my review of the book. The book was fun to read. It had some suspense, and some adventure. I enjoyed the way the author combined science fiction with fantasy. If you like both science fiction and fantasy, like I do, then you will enjoy this book. If you like solving puzzles as well, then you will especially like the book. A.

Halo: the fall or Reach
By: Eric Nylund


   Imagine humans 525 years into the future, with multiple planets we now call "home", and us at war with an alien group known as the covenant, and you've got this book. Prequel to the game series Halo, this book is a great science fiction read. On a human colony known as Harvest, an evil alien society attacks. Because of this we enter a huge war. But men win wars not guns... so we created the Spartans 9ft. tall genetically engineered super humans in huge power suits. This book follows the story of a 6 year old boy (later grows up) known as soldier John 117.
   I enjoyed this great book because of its story of how John was taken at an early age and endured difficult military training. As he grows up John faces life threatening encounters with the covenant. Asd I read this book i felt every hard pace he endured and the challenging trials he faced from bombing a ship to surviving long trips in snowy mountains. This book changes with great transitions from each and every year in spartan training. But all the training and violence pays off when he lives as the last spartan and  faces his most challenging trial yet on the planet Reach. Where the most important war happens in the whole universe.
   i highly recommend reading this great novel because of how well it is written. The great story in this book describes what would happen if we where ever at a point this high of hardship. This is one of my favorite books i have read by far. A

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

     Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports is the third book by James Patterson in the Maximum Ride series. I thought it was a great book loaded with action as well as wit. I think it might be the best book in the series so far.
     Max and her family of friends are the product of crazy scientists who grafted bird DNA into them. Ever since they escaped the awful place they were born and raised, the "flock" has merely tried to live. (If you want to know more, look at the book review of the first book, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment) At the beginning of the book, the bird kids are on the run from the crazy scientists and a worldwide company called Itex. Itex has an insane plan to kill every human in the world with imperfections and problems and to create genetically improved people instead. Itex wants to do this because they think that the world has become really polluted because there are too many people in it. They created Max and the bird kids, but now that Max knows about their plan, she has set out on a mission to stop it. While on her quest, she and the bird kids are captured and put in an Itex prison.
      While she is stuck there, an old enemy returns named Ari. Ari is part wolf and has tried to kill Max on numerous occasions, but now he has gone good, or so Max thinks. Ari helps them escape, but Fang, one of the bird kids, doesn't trust Ari. Because of this, the flock splits up. This is a huge problem. While they are apart, it becomes harder and harder to be safe, and the bird kids are in more danger than ever. The only trick up their sleeves is Fang's blog to spread the word about Itex all around the world to help save the planet.
     I liked with many of the themes in this book. One of the biggest themes in this book is that pollution is bad, but there are answers to put a stop to it. Pollution plays a big roll in the book. One of the other main themes is that giving someone a second chance pays off. The bird kids give Ari a second chance, as well as a man named Jeb who betrayed them, and it ends up being for the best. I liked the themes, but there were some loudly expressed opinions that I didn't agree with and didn't seem neccessary to the plot, but I enjoyed the book enough to look past those things.
     Although this book may not be my favorite, it is definitely worth the time to read. I thought it was very creative and interesting. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports is another great hit for James Patterson.
    

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

     The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is a great science fiction book. It teaches that everyone has a soul, and you can't judge people if they are different than you. This book is about the clone of a drug-lord named El Patron. El Patron rules a piece of land between Mexico and the US, called Opium.

      Matteo Alacran, or Matt, is the clone of the evil El Patron. For years, Matt has lived in seclusion, but finally he is noticed by El Patron. Soon, Matt moves into El Patron's big mansion, where he encounters El Patron's great-great grandchildren (El Patron is very old), and the daughters of a United States Senator- Maria and Emilia. However, his whole life, Matt has been treated like scum. Everyone literally treats animals better than him. Why? Because Matt is a clone, and clones 'don't have a soul.' But if you didn't know that Matt was a clone, you would see him as a regular human being. Only his mother-like figure, Celia; his father-like figure, Tam Lin; and his friend Maria see that Matt does have a soul.

      This book was very interesting and exciting, because it is set in the future, where there are hovercrafts, humans who are turned into zombies, and clones. Also, it was very cool to see the story through the clone's perspective. I really felt sorry for Matt when he was treated badly.

       I completely disagree with most of the characters in the book when they say that clones don't have souls. I guess it was the fact that I knew all of Matt's story. Matt really does have a soul, and he's a really good kid. I think that the author wanted to show her readers that everyone can do good, and we can't judge people if they are different than us. I completely agree with what she is portraying. This book really affected the way that I think about others. I know that I should never treat others like they are under me. I always knew this, but this book brought it into a brighter light.

      I really enjoyed this book (I'm a sucker for sci-fi), and I think most people would. However, I think it would be best if you understood a little bit of Spanish; but only a tiny bit. If you know what gracias means, then you will probably be good. Overall, I loved this book, and it will remain on the list of some of my favorite books.

Scarlet

Scarlet, by Marissa Meyer, is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles, the riveting sequel to Cinder. That also means for all of you reading this who haven't read Cinder, you might want to read it before reading this one. Just a helpful hint (if you want you can read Ms Jensen's previous review on Cinder). Anyway, the book picks up right from where it left off, only hours after the end of the last book. Cinder has to escape from prison and has just been given the aid to do so. She ends up picking up another "criminal", Thorne, along the way because he has a ship and they are free to escape. At the same time, another teenager, Scarlet Benoit, is looking for her grandmother who has been kidnapped two weeks ago. Meyers weaves in another fairytale with Scarlet and her red hoodie, grandmother, and an unfamiliar and questionable street fighter, Wolf, who may just be the key to finding Scarlet's grandma. As the story unfolds, Cinder, Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf have to cross paths to put all the pieces together and plan a way to defeat Queen Levena who shows more and more of just how ruthless she is.

From the very beginning you follow around these four characters and also Prince Kai who is faced with his own issues -- between decided what is best for the Earth and what he wants. Although at the beginning it was a little difficult for me to get attached to the new characters of Scarlet, Wolf, and Thorne, soon you get so caught up in the story you can't put it down. It was a brilliant connector for all the dots and you can tell the author knew exactly how the plot would unfold before the books were written. It has a lot of the same elements from Cinder, so if you don't like sci-fi, romance, adventure, blood, and nasty creatures trying to kill everyone, you might not want to read this book (also, you must be pretty boring). I throughly enjoyed this book and it was really fun for me too read. Unlike Cinder, there was not a plot twist to predict by chapter three and I had no idea everything was going to happen how it would happen. The book was brilliant and clever and I really did enjoy it.

Earlier when I was still in the beginning of this book, Ms Jensen asked me if I thought boys would like this book. And originally I kind of thought they wouldn't because it was a fairytale. But Scarlet took things to a whole new level. Yes, there is still love (sorry folks), and sci-fi, but by the end of Scarlet it is (as Ms Jensen told me) "more violent than some of the Hunger Games." After finishing this book, I think that anybody could enjoy it and I would recommend it to everyone. I loved it and personally think the author is a genius (I mean, who sits down and says, "I going to write a book where Cinderella is a cyborg and it's post-apocalyptic and not only does Cinderella have to win the prince but she has to save two planets!" Wow! Kudos to Marissa Meyer). A+

      Spoiler Alert

            Mockingjay is the final book in Suzanne Collins Hunger Games Trilogy. The book begins right where Catching Fire left off where Katniss was taken away from the battle arena in an aircraft. When she finally gained conscience she learns that all this time she has been set up starting with Haymitch telling her allies to protect Katniss not matter what happens. She also learns that there is a District 13 and people living there.

            When Katniss arrives in District 13 she becomes the icon of the rebellion, a mockingjay. The population of District 13 consists of the people of its district and any other refugees that came from other districts. Their entire district is underground and no one is allowed to go outside. Other than hunting Katniss was required to attend training classes in order to learn battle skills and go into the field. She also has to participate in many videos acting as the mockingjay showing that she survived and is preparing to kill President Snow

            Throughout the book Katniss goes around to the different districts to convince the people to join the rebellion and fight against President Snow. After districts have been under attack, more and more are look to Katniss to help and lead them. Katniss later learns that Peeta had been rescued and was being monitored since he had been manipulated by Snow. When Katniss visited him she learned that all of their good memories had been changed into nightmares in Peeta’s mind. As Katniss tries to get past the old Peeta and accept the new one, she prepares to go the capitol and fulfill her goal.

            Surprisingly, Mockingjay wasn’t as terrible as I’ve heard it is. I know that the first two books were far better, but still this was a pretty good book. However, I didn’t really like how the first quarter of the book was where she was stuck underground in District 13. I understand that she was limited on the things she could do, I just wish that Collins would’ve made it a little more interesting to read. I am glad that she kept practically the same issues because I was able to see how some things are easier to change for the better than others. For example, it’s hard to change whether it is for the better or the worse. Also, I didn’t really like how the book ended, I know that there was really no other way that Collins could’ve ended the series. With that being said, I agree that what she did was a good decision and the whole series ended up great!

            In conclusion, Suzanne Collins’s trilogy has been amazing to read about. I have loved reading the series and I can’t wait to see what Collins will write about next. I look forward to seeing the movies and seeing how the book will come to life. For those who haven’t read this series yet have truly missed out and should read it soon. 

The Kill Order by James Dashner

This month, I read The Kill Order by James Dashner.  This is a fictional book and is the prequel to the Maze Runner series.  This book talks mostly about the Flare, the disease used at first as a means of population control.  It talks about the mutation of the disease, and how it eventually began to bring mankind to its knees.

As this book takes place before Thomas's time, it follows two new characters named Mark and Trina.  It begins by telling us a little background about them.  One year prior to when the story takes place, sun flares struck the earth, bringing unbearable heat, dangerous radiation, and rising sea levels.  Against all odds, Mark and Trina were able to escape the disaster and flee New York.  Now, thanks to the help of a retired military worker named Alec and his friend Lana, Mark and Trina are living in a settlement in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.

To Mark and Trina, life finally seems to be settling down.  Things seem to be as normal as they'll ever be.  But one day, that all changes.  Upon hearing the roar of engines, everyone in the settlement runs outside to see a Berg, a giant flying machine, hovering above them.  Before anyone can think, men dressed in funny suits step out of the Berg and start shooting people with darts.  The town erupts into chaos.  In an attempt to find out what's going on, Mark and Alec take down the men on the Berg and board it themselves.  Before long, Mark finds a box with a warning label on it, saying it contains a highly contagious disease, or virus.

Suddenly, Mark and Alec are hit with realization.  They realize that the darts the people were shot with were filled with the virus, but they can't understand why they would be.  They decide to undertake a dangerous mission.  They decide to go to the place the Berg came from and learn more about the disease.  But there's one thing they are going to have to be careful about.  The disease is still on the loose, and for all they know, they may already have it.

To start, I've heard very mixed reviews on this book.  Most of them were negative.  However, I thought this book was fantastic.  At first, I thought the three books in the Maze Runner series would be better than this, but now I think that this book is just as good as the others.  I loved how the book gave insight into the Flare and how it all started.  I was interested to see that at first, the virus was used to control the population, but as it mutated, the government sort of ran away from it, and the world collapsed into downright chaos.  In the book, Mark has strong feelings about this.  He is angry with the government, and he is mad that they released this virus without thinking over all the possibilities of what could've happened.  I too believe the government should've taken more careful action and maybe even done something different about the whole issue.  Clearly, this is a very interesting issue.  I also enjoyed in the book how Mark had occasional dreams about his past and about how he escaped the sun flares.   This gave wonderful insight into the sun flares and the kind of person Mark is.  Simply put, this book was just amazing.

In conclusion, this book was one of the best, most interesting books I've read in a while.  I would highly recommend it to anyone.  A+

Ruins by Orson Scott Card is the second book in the Pathfinder series. In this book Rigg, a 15 year old boy that can see paths and go into the past, and his friends live on a planet called Garden. On Garden there are 19 colonies and each has an invisible wall that is impossible to pass. By going into the past, Rigg and his friends find a way to pass through the wall.
  
On the other side they find out that the people in this colony have found out that the world is going to be blown up by the people from Earth in three years. Rigg and his friends then decide that they should try to stop the people from blowing up their planet. The rest of the book is about the group trying to save their world. 

One big problem I had with this book was how confusing some scenes were. In the book they talk a lot about time travel and it doesn't make any sense. Here's an example, "During the microseconds when the ship's nineteen computers were separately calculating and activating the jump." There are whole pages where they talk about stuff like this.     

I thought that this book was o.k. Most of the book didn't have a lot of action and was kind of boring. I feel like the author went way too slow and this book could have been a lot better if it was faster paced. However, the last 100 pages were fast paced and action packed. Also there were tons of mini cliffhangers that kept the book interesting. So for these reasons I'm giving it a B minus.

        


 

Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen

     This book is a sequel to Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans. Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen starts just after the previous book ends. Having escaped the Elgen Academy in Pasadena, and adding new friends and members, Michael Vey and the rest of the Electroclan are on their way back to Idaho. They succeeded in shutting down the academy, but they didn't find Michael's mother, who in fact wasn't being held at the academy. So, the Electroclan tries to find where she is being kept. Grace, one of the electric kids with the ability to download and store data like a flash drive, downloaded data from the Elgen's mainframe. The Electroclan hopes to find out where Michael's mother is, and they find out she is being kept in an Elgen facility in Peru. That's when they begin planning her rescue. Through most of this, Michael Vey and the Electroclan have been receiving help from an anonymous person calling them. The caller gives them transport to a place nearby the Elgen Starxource plant in Peru, where they execute the plan. Michael gets captured as the Electroclan escapes, but is freed when the rest of the Electroclan destroys the plant. The book ends as Michael Vey tries to find them.
     I enjoyed this book and I would give it an A-.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

     Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans is about a kid named Michael Vey. He is a 9th grader who is a little bit unique. He lives in Idaho. Besides that, not only does Michael have Tourette's syndrome, but he also has the ability to shock people when he is in contact with them. When Taylor Ridley, a cheerleader that Michael Vey has had a crush on since first seeing her, witnesses him using his ability on the school bully, he soon finds out that she also has a special ability. She can "reboot" people's minds, making them forget what they were doing. She can also read the minds of anyone she is touching. Taylor, Michael, and Michael's friend, Ostin, decide to make a club called the Electroclan. Not long after that, the Electroclan discovers that there are more electric kids. Later, Taylor and Michael find out that they got a scholarship to the Elgen Academy, a school where these electric kids are being kept. After that, Michael's mom gets kidnapped by the person running the Elgen Academy. Michael goes to rescue her, and stop the Elgen.

     This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the characters and plot. There was also a lot of humor in this book. I recommend that you read it. A.

           Catching Fire is the second book of Suzanne Collins hunger games trilogy. The book starts with Katniss and Peeta celebrating their victory of the 74th hunger games and is on their victory tour to each district. While on this tour Peeta discovers that Katniss did not really love him and just acted like she did just for the sake of the viewers. From then on Peeta stays his distance while Katniss needs to prove to President Snow that the two are truly in love.

            Every twenty five year there is something called the Quarter Quell and a twist on the hunger games. All that Katniss remembers hearing about the previous Quarter Quell is that they sent twice as many tributes into the arena. For the 75th annual hunger games the tributes are chosen out of previous victors of the hunger games. With this unexpected surprise Katniss prepares to return to the battle arena once again. Between Peeta and Haymitch, it was quite obvious that the star crossed lovers would be reunited in the games again.

            As Katniss and Peeta are preparing for the games, they are faced with the challenge of not knowing the strategies of the victors before them. The thing about the hunger games this year is that it is nobody’s first time. Their strategy of being I love with each other is the same as the previous year, but along with their opponents President Snow does not believe their act. During training Katniss and Peeta spilt up into separate stations to get as many allies as possible for the games. Once in the arena the clock is ticking to stay alive and get out safely. The question is will Katniss and Peeta be able to survive the challenges that the arena poses yet again?

            I really loved how Collin was able to describe a totally different arena compare to the one in the first book. I also enjoyed how Collins was able to describe the other tributes more in Catching Fire opposed to her first book. I loved how Catching Fire had the same topics like an over powering government, family, friends, and trust.

            Ultimately Catching Fire is a phenomenal book filled with science fiction, suspense, action, and romance. It is a very interesting book that is hard to put down. I loved reading this book and I would highly recommend those who have not read to read it soon. I cannot wait until the movie comes out in November and compare the similarities and differences with the book.

Uglies

  




   




      

     The Uglies written by Scott Westerfield is an absolutely amazing book. This young adult and science fiction story is about a young girl named, Tally Youngblood. Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she is so excited, because she is going to turn pretty.  In Tally's world, you get to be two different kinds of, well, human. First, you are ugly. Then, when you turn 16 years old, you get an operation that turns you into nothing but, pretty. Along with that operation comes many benefits. Such as, many, many friends, late nights, huge parties, and all the glits and glamour you could ever possibly dream of. And, you get to move into the city. Before the operation, you have to live outside of Pretty town in a place that they call, Uglyville. But, then the world in practicley yours. It's a perfect life. What more could you want? Her best-friend has already done it, and so has everyone else she knows. She just wants her sixteenth birthday to come fast. But some uglies don't want to turn pretty. So, they run away to the the ruins. Also know as, The Rusties. 

       As Tally goes back and forth from the city and Uglyville, she stumbles upon Shay. Shay is an ugly, and she's determined to stay that way. But why? You see, Shay doesn't want to be pretty at all. She want to remain the same. When Tally's sixteenth birthday finally comes, Shay has convinced her why she should stay ugly. But tally still wants to see for herself. So, tally goes on an adventure, hoping that she will find a place called, The Smoke. This place is for those who do not ever want to turn pretty... ever. They have run away from Uglyville and made their own little community far, far away from everyone, so that no one will find them. As Tally finds The Smoke she makes a great discovery, and could possibly change the whole course of life for everyone. Even those in the city.

      The Uglies is such an incredible. I could hardly put it down! It is so descriptive and full of imagination that the pictures in your head are almost real. The book is so very interesting, and entertaining. It keeps you locked in its words forever. If you liked the books The Hunger Games, or Matched, you will definitely enjoy this one. I think that the moral to this story that Scott Westerfield is trying to show, is that don't ever change who you are. You don't need people, or in Tally's case, an operation to tell you otherwise.
      Starting this book was not a challenge for me. If it is for you, don't give up just yet. I promise, that if you keep reading it will be almost impossible for you to put down. The Uglies was such a great book. I recommend it to everyone. This book gets an A.
                                                                                               

Cinder...ella?

If it isn't painfully obvious by the title and cover of this book, Cinder, by Marissa Meyer, is a retelling of the Cinderella story. To be honest, this book has been sitting on my bedside table for over six months waiting to be read. I have withheld on the basis that I wasn't sure I could take another fairytale retelling. That all said, Cinder is a really unique and interesting take on Cinderella and I ended up really enjoying it. Why? Because while there is the ball, the prince, the evil stepmother, and even an impressive allusion to a pumpkin carriage--it felt like a completely new story. Think Cinderella meets Star Trek. Seriously.

Cinder is a cyborg. Coming into this novel I had no idea what that meant. Turns out a cyborg is a person who is born human but then requires mechanical/technological parts in order to live. They may be forced to take parts due to an accident, disease, surgery, etc. Cinder's cyborg parts are because she and both her parents were in a hovercraft accident, leaving only her alive. But, getting these new parts requires rewiring her brain like a computer, which adds some complexity to her thought processes. She can't remember anything before her current life. Her stepfather adopted her at age 11 but died within a few months, leaving her with a cruel stepmother and two stepsisters, one of which is really sweet.

And so begins the Cinderella story. She is a slave who keeps her stepmother's semi-lavish lifestyle going by working as a mechanic. She meets a prince--of course--but not at the ball. In fact, Cinder wouldn't be caught dead at the ball. All of this is the "fairytale" part.

Insert sci-fi here: First off, the cyborg thing. Secondly, Earth is in a futuristic state, but has seen 126 years of peace after the last World War (WW IV). I am still not sure if that means this book is post-apocalyptic or in the middle of an apocalypse. Additionally, people live on the moon--and their leader is a crazy, hyped-up hag who really wants to extend her power to dictating Earth. And finally, there is a horrible disease, called leutmosis, which is absolutely terminal and takes a matter of days before it kills its victims. In all this joy (sarcasm intended) Cinder becomes a test subject for leutmosis, finds out some pretty crazy stuff about the world she lives in and is ultimately faced with a choice of freedom or sacrifice.

Maybe its because I just taught foreshadowing, but I knew the "twist" to the book by chapter 3. I kind of got annoyed, but the more I read on the more I realized the author was trying to make it obvious. However, knowing the twist DID NOT, by any means, ruin the book. I know the Cinderella story by heart...and while there a few bones that make the basic plot Cinderella, there are cyborg parts added to make this completely unique and fun. There are political power plays, evil beyond an evil stepmother, fantasy/magic which is explained through science, and examples of racism and bigotry.  It was just so "fresh".

There are three sequels, one of which is already out, Scarlett. I have it sitting in my classroom and am eager to get my hands on it after the weekend. Furthermore, the last two sequels already have release dates, which just shows you that the author knew the entire story going into writing it...rather than writing because a publisher told her to. If you like fairytales, you'll probably like this book. If you like sci-fi, you definitely will like it. A.

The Death Cure by James Dashner

The Death Cure by James Dashner is the final book in the Maze Runner Trilogy.  Like the other books, this is a work of fiction, and it continues to follow Thomas and the Gladers.  At this point in the trilogy, WICKED says they are done testing the Gladers, and that the 'time for lies is over.'  However, Thomas knows he can't trust WICKED.  This book follows him in his efforts to stop them.

At the beginning of the book, Thomas and his friends are told they are done being tested.  Along with this, they are given some shocking news.  Not only are Thomas and the Gladers smart, most of them are immune to the Flare, the horrible virus threatening to destroy the human race.  WICKED has been testing the Gladers because of the fact they are immune.  They've been mapping their brains in a desperate attempt to find a cure to the Flare and return the world to its former glory.

Despite this news, Thomas knows he can't trust WICKED.  He has remembered far too much already.  The next day, WICKED tells the Gladers they are going to get all their memories back.  They are going to remember everything before the Maze.  Thomas doesn't want to get his memories back.  He is scared of WICKED and what he might remember.  Thomas, along with a few other friends, decide to do something about this, and before long, they break out of WICKED.

Shortly after fleeing WICKED headquarters, Thomas and his friends find themselves in Denver, which is considered one of the few "safe" cities left in the world.  Although they've escaped WICKED, Thomas and his friends aren't free from what is out in the real world.  Are they really safe, or were they better off staying with WICKED?  Thomas can only guess.

This book was absolutely incredible.  I have to admit, at first it went really slow.  I didn't really get into it until the end.  However, the end was amazing.  It completely won me over and made me really like the book.  Last book review, I mentioned that at the end of the series, I would have to decide if the ends justified the means.  And, to be completely honest, I'm torn.  Essentially, WICKED failed their ultimate mission: to find a cure for the Flare.  However, at the end of the book, Thomas and his friends are given a new life, giving us hope that the human race will continue on.  At the end of the book, WICKED themselves say things similar to what I've said.  They explain that they failed, but also succeeded in a sense.  They also can't decide whether they will be viewed as good or evil by people in the future.  I'd imagine Thomas is pretty torn up over this whole situation.  Several times, he says that even if WICKED did find a cure, it wouldn't be worth it, considering all he and his friends had to go through.  Because WICKED failed, he's probably mad about all he lost for nothing.  But, I believe he will be able to find happiness in his new life.  Although there are many ways to interpret the end of this book, I believe it depends on how the reader views it.

This book was fantastic.  It was interesting and attention-grabbing.  I think everyone should read it.  A

Specials - Scott Westerfield

      To introduce this book, you should know this is the 3rd book of a series of 4. This book along with all the others revolves around the characters and the corrupt government, and how it is to be run. To understand these books, you have to understand that the setting begins in the future and not present day. Although there are many things in this book that do have ties to present days, but have the main idea of it expanded and taken to a higher extreme.
      Alright here we go, diving in, this book is a bit hard to explain without giving everything away but, it all starts right after Tally has joined the 'cutter' a group that uses cutting themselves as a way to keep their heads clear and focused. In the book prior to this Tally was a normal 'pretty' but sense joining the 'honorary' cutters she has became a special. By this Tally has had to undergo a surge that will make her beyond superhuman. With that, it proves itself to make it a crucial point throughout this book.
      I honestly liked this book but it wasn't my favorite out of the series. I think it did a great job at leaving little cliff hangers at parts though-out the book, they left you dying to read the next chapter and keep flipping the pages. Although I do have to admit that other parts of this book killed me, metaphorically. It seemed as if they we're dragging on too long, but I'm sort of an impatient person so that may explain it but that's just my personal take on it.
      "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have" - Thomas Jefferson. Without ruining this book I will leave you with this quote and mention that it surprisingly has a ton to do with this book.

enders game

Enders Game
By: Orson Scott Card

   The book enders game is a science fiction book that happens in the future. The book is about a young boy named ender Wiggin who grows up on earth but is chosen to go to battle school. In this book before The story takes place there was a war with the humans and an alien race we humans call "buggers". There is some footage of the war but it seems that some parts where taken out. The school is a training place to teach students how to battle by playing some games on these laptop like things called "desks". but that isnt the only thing they train with...
     In this school they play a game in suits that have laser tag like guns to shoot each other with, where ever you are shot your suit will restrict movement there. along with that, there is a trick to the game... the battle room has zero gravity. For me, I though that one of the most interesting things in this book is how  the students act with each other in the battle room. I agree with the teachers of the school that this will help the kids because they need to be prepared for zero gravity combat. I thought that how the author put these children together was brilliant because it shows the children what the military is like. This book changed my thoughts of deception and how the teachers lack of effort affects the students because to me it feels like the students run the school by themselves.
   All together, I thought this was an amazing book because of the feeling it gives you while reading. Sometimes i felt the emotions and pain that was brought to the characters. This book is one of my favorites because of how real the feelings in it are. I highly suggest reading it. Enders game the movie comes out this November. Over all, it is a great read. A+