Taken

Takenby Erin Bowman

From the publisher:
"There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?"

Two of my favorite clean YA authors highly recommended this book, so I ordered it for our library, but I disliked this book on so many levels I was glad when I finally finished it.  The main character was completely obnoxious and I really didn't care what happened to him. There was no chemistry whatsoever between the main character and his 2 love interests. There are some very disturbing parts about sleeping around to propagate the race, and I never really understood the world building.  Teenagers might possibly like this better than I did. Areas of concern: The above mentioned sleeping around, which they call "slatings".  I don't remember much bad language at all.  Really a pretty clean read without the whole slatings thing.  And that is just talked about as everyday life, but never anything detailed. There is violence as they are fighting a war (which is never really explained well).  An evil government head (obligatory in dystopian books) who experiments on people and has people executed. Suggested Ages: Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12-18 School Library Journal - Grades 8+

Dangerous

Dangerous
by Shannon Hale

From the publisher:
"Maisie Danger Brown just wanted to get away from home for a bit, see something new. She never intended to fall in love. And she never imagined stumbling into a frightening plot that kills her friends and just might kill her, too. A plot that is already changing life on Earth as we know it. There's no going back. She is the only thing standing between danger and annihilation.

From NY Times bestselling author Shannon Hale comes a novel that asks, How far would you go to save the ones you love? And how far would you go to save everyone else?"

Let me start by saying I'm not a Shannon Hale fan. I read and didn't like Austenland , I read The Princess Academy and The Goose Girl and only mildly liked them. So when I saw this one, I thought I would give it a try because I'm not really fond of princess-y books, so maybe this one would be more up my alley. It definitely was. So probably the intense Shannon Hale fans will like it less :). While there were definite flaws in the story - it starts out so quickly that it is hard to form relationships with Luther and with Maisie's parents because they were suddenly gone and we moved on to the next part of the book - I really enjoyed it once we got to the tokens. So here's how it fanned out for me: First part was kind of blah, after the tokens came into force I thought it was really exciting and good, then the whole alien thing came into force and I thought it was a little weird. However, on the whole I quite enjoyed the book. I really liked the characters, especially Maisie Danger Brown, and I appreciated that she had a really good relationship with her parents, although several of the other characters had lousy ones.

Areas of concern: There is quite a bit of kissing, a couple find themselves staying in a one room apartment sharing the same mattress on the floor. Nothing happens beyond kissing, although it is discussed and the male character assures the girl he has "protection". One of the male characters is a real player and hook-ups are mentioned.
Quite a bit of violence - several key characters are killed by other key characters, and there is a lot of bloodshed and tension about loved ones.
No bad language, although one character cusses alot, but the author uses bleepity-bleeps saying that the main character doesn't like the language.\

Suggested Ages:
Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12-18
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

The Last of the Really
Great Whangdoodles
by Julie Andrews Edwards

From the publisher:
"Ben, Tom and Lindy Potter are ordinary children. They lead ordinary lives - until they meet the brilliant Professor Savant. He tells them all about the Whangdoodles, the wise and magical creatures who once lived on earth but then disappeared to another land, and were forgotten forever. Except by Professor Savant and the three children, who are determined to visit Whangdoodleland, where the last of the really great Whangdoodles rules over his kingdom of fantastic creatures. Getting there isn't easy. The children must look "beyond" the ordinary, and see things in a completely different way. It's hard and dangerous work, and sometimes it seems that they'll never reach the Whangdoodle's castle. But little by little the children learn that with a bit of imagination, "anything" is possible."

This book is meant to stir the imagination, and I think it will do that for middle schoolers.  However, as an adult reading it, I found it very hard to get into.  I had read so many good reviews of this book, and I absolutely loved the author's book Mandy , so I was very disappointed that this one couldn't hold my attention.  I guess I'm too old to appreciate it, or maybe I should have been wearing a "scrappy cap" while reading. Hopefully elementary and middle school kids can still appreciate it, although it is a little dated (1974, I think) and the word "gross" was way over-used.

Areas of concern:
Nothing. There were parts that were trying to build tension, but didn't really succeed, so it would be good for all ages. Even a read-aloud for younger elementary students.

The Testing

The Testing
by Joelle Charbonneau

From the publisher:
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust."

I really enjoyed this book. The idea of the testing was intriguing, I felt very connected to the characters- even the secondary family members - and I thought the world building was really good. There was a lot of tension wondering who to trust and whether the main character was making the right decision. Is this book completely and totally original? No. But the dystopian genre is flooded with books that all resemble each other. There were similarities to other books in the genre, but there were...moreI really enjoyed this book. The idea of the testing was intriguing, I felt very connected to the characters- even the secondary family members - and I thought the world building was really good. There was a lot of tension wondering who to trust and whether the main character was making the right decision. Is this book completely and totally original? No. But the dystopian genre is flooded with books that all resemble each other. There were similarities to other books in the genre, but there were also some really original plot points, and the ending blew me away! How is everything going to work out? I'm very glad the next book in the trilogy is now out, and the last comes out in June. No waiting a whole year in between! I strongly recommend this one! Areas of concern: There is violence, but it wasn't as graphic or as intense as The Hunger Games or Divergent . There were a few kisses and a handful of cuss words.  Suggested Ages: Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+ School Library Journal - Grades 7+

Good Night, Mr. Tom

Good Night, Mr. Tom
by Michelle Magorian

From the publisher:
"London is poised on the brink of World War II. Timid, scrawny Willie Beech -- the abused child of a single mother -- is evacuated to the English countryside. At first, he is terrified of everything, of the country sounds and sights, even of Mr. Tom, the gruff, kindly old man who has taken him in. But gradually Willie forgets the hate and despair of his past. He learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection in which harsh words and daily beatings have no place. Then a telegram comes. Willie must return to his mother in London. When weeks pass by with no word from Willie, Mr. Tom sets out for London to look for the young boy he has come to love as a son."

I discovered this book when I saw it listed in the BBC's 100 Favorite Books list.  It had been sitting on one of our school's library shelves for years and had rarely been checked out.  How sad that makes me now, because this book is beautiful.  I have so many students who read  A Child Called It  and ask for other books like it.  I try to get them to check out this one because it deals with a lot of the same issues, but in a more hopeful way.  Unfortunately the stigma of historical fiction and an older book always talks them out of it, because while this book is both heart-breaking and disturbing, it is also lovely and uplifting.  I highly recommend this book for middle school and up.  It's the kind of book that makes you feel truly grateful for the blessings in your own life, and you just want to hug the book when you finish it.

Areas of concern:  There are some very disturbing allusions to and scenes of abuse. 
Two boys have a frank (but pretty tasteful) discussion about sex.

Reboot

Reboot
by Amy Tintera

From the publisher:
"Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders."

This book has a really interesting premise, a lot of action, fun characters and a uniqueness to it that sets it apart from other dystopian books. And yet, I didn't love it. I enjoyed reading it and it kept me entertained, but not enough to read a sequel. However, it does have the best book trailer EVER.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adUV6q.... In fact, rewatching the book trailer made me think that I liked the book better than I did :) . They'll probably make it into a movie that I'll love. And maybe the reason I didn't love it is because I just re-read The Hunger Games series, and let's face it, most dystopians are just trying for the greatness of that series (except Mockingjay of course).

Areas of concern:
The main character kills many people and it doesn't phase her.
There several sexual discussions, but the main character stops making out before anything happens because she is nervous.
The *s* word is used 3 times on the same page and then more than a handful of swear words are scattered throughout the rest of the book.

Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 13+
School Library Journal - Grade 7+

Champion (Legend #3)

Champion
by Marie Lu

From the publisher:
"The explosive finale to Marie Lu's New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government's elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic's border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country's defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu's bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion."

Finally, a last book in a trilogy that I loved! Thank you, Marie Lu, and get started writing the next trilogy, please. I read a lot of reviews that absolutely hated the ending of this book, but I thought it was perfect and really a brilliant way to handle everything. I could read the epilogue over and over. When I read Prodigy , I found it annoying in some ways because Day and June never seemed to trust each other and their attraction seemed purely physical. However, in this book they trust each other and even make great sacrifices for each other. It was also good to get to know Eden better and see his growth and eventual strength. I loved having Tess and Ollie back. It was so interesting to see Anden go through his struggles and try to be strong while not becoming his father. There was a lot of action and more looks into the world outside of the Republic. All very intriguing. Ahhhh, I will miss Day and June.

Areas of concern: 2 characters spend the night together and while it wasn't terribly graphic, it definitely wasn't "fade to black".
There are a handful of cuss words, and the slang word Day always uses for anything bad - "goddy". There is violence, but not on par with things like The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner (or else I'm just becoming de-sensitized to the violence in these dystopian books).

Suggested Ages:
Booklist - Grades 7-12
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+