Going BZRK for Michael Grant

I am a huge fan of Michael Grant! I think the Gone series was so mesmerizing and I am thrilled to be hooked on another series by Grant. Here's what is going on in BZRK! These are no ordinary soldiers. This is no ordinary war. Welcome to the nano, where the only battle is for sanity. Losing is not an option when a world of madness is at stake. Time is running out for the good guys. But what happens when you don't know who the good guys really are? Noah and Sadie: newly initiated to an underground cell so covert that they don't even know each other's names. Here they will learn what it means to fight on a nano level. Soon they will become the deadliest warriors the world has ever seen. Vincent: feels nothing, cares for no one; fighting his own personal battle with Bug Man, the greatest nano warrior alive. The Armstrong Twins: wealthy, privileged, and fanatical. Are they the saviours of mankind or authors of the darkest conspiracy the world has ever seen? The nano is uncharted territory. A terrifying world of discovery. And everything is to play for... It's true, I definitely think that BZRK will have your mind reeling! BZRK is very intense and you don't find that in most of the YA books out right now. It captures that insane futuristic reality that no one wants to really ever think about. The Book Zone reviewed BZRK and noted that Grant's diabolical writing "deals with issues such as: identity; control; what it is that makes us independent humans with independent thoughts; and - scariest of all in this book - madness. It is a book where you question the actions of everyone, both good and bad, and find yourself asking whether the good guys are actually just slightly less bad than the villains. For both sides, it is very much a case of the end justifies the means, and in BZRK the means are pretty damn deplorable sometimes. And what makes things even worse is that to many of the bad guys, what they are up to is just a game, albeit infinitely bigger and more extreme than anything produced for your average games console. There is one speech, by a character called Bug Man, that really does leave a bad taste in your mouth.... just as Michael Grant intended, I do suspect." I agree wholeheartedly with The Book Zone and feel that this book would be great for reluctant readers as well as boys and girls who love adventure, sci-fi, apocalyptic dystopic novels, and just plain mind games and action. Grant has a way of drawing the reader in and making sure that they don't put the book down until they are finished. And... his books really keep you thinking long after you are done reading them. The creepiness of Gone still haunts me to this day! Happy Reading to you All!! Mrs. Librarian Lady

Future-licious Fan in the House!

This week I am very excited to talk about one of my favorite sub-genres which is apocalyptic/dystopic science fiction. I don't know why, but I have always been a sucker for a good future gone bad story. I tend to stay away from the zombie apocalyptic stories, but last spring I found myself drawn to Carrie Ryan's series that started with The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Usually zombies make me run the other way, but I stuck with it and read all three in the series. I have to say that I really liked the series and will continue to read anything that Ms. Ryan releases. Lately, I have found that there are some really good books out there that focus on the plight of our future and what will happen to all of mankind. Sometimes these books make think to myself, what would it be like if life was really like this? I think these kinds of books are really good for keeping young adult readers on their toes and many of the books have really exciting and thoughtful storylines. I definitley love a twisting and turning futuristic plot that leaves you wanting more when the book is done!

"In a world gone mad, where humans are treated as slaves, and the planet is now ruled by intelligent apes, Galen, Virdon and Burke must find a way to return to Earth in their own time, or be doomed to spend their lives on the run from the murderous apes…" Planet of the Apes, 1975

I hope you enjoy my apocalyptic/dystopic sci fi picks this week!

Love to read,

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Matched by Ally Condie (Dutton Juvenile, 2010)

Set in a dystopian future, Matched tells the story of Cassia, a seventeen year old girl who is about to be matched with her future husband. During her Match Banquet, Cassia is matched with her best friend, Xander which is a rare outcome that hardly ever happens in the Society. However, Cassia is very relieved because Xander is her best friend. While viewing her Matched files of Xander, Cassia sees her handsome neighbor Ky's face. She knows she is supposed to be matched with Xander, but in her mind she begins to question who is really her true match. A Society official has told her not to worry about Ky and that it was a mistake, or rather a trick that someone played on her. Cassia lives in a world where people are watched at all times and individuality is not allowed. What will Cassia do when she realizes that her heart is going to lead her on a journey of love and she must break the rules of the Society?

I love love loved this book! It was an amazing rendition of a world gone bad where higher up officials take a person’s life and identity away by using control. The main character Cassia was wonderfully engaging and I really connected with her plight of having to choose between doing what is right according to the Society, or doing what her heart told her was right in choosing her soul mate. Condie did a fantastic job portraying a dystopiian socieity where everyone was basically brainwashed and did what they were told. The story was a bit familiar and reminded me of Lois Lowry's The Giver, but that is ok, because Condie went the extra mile and filled this novel up with excellent characters and a truly corrupt and distorted view of the Society in control. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good romance with a fateful twist.

Gone by Michael Grant (Harper Teen, 2008)

The kids of Perdido Beach suddenly find themselves alone as each adult in their community poofs out of sight right before their very eyes. It’s as if everyone over the age 14 has disappeared without a trace. Sam is an everyday average kid who likes to surf with his best friend Quinn, but now those days are over. Immediate chaos has broken out because children are fending for themselves and they don’t know what to do. Most of the kids want Sam to lead them because he was a hero when he was younger and saved a school bus from crashing over a cliff. Sam is really reluctant to take over the role as leader because he knows it is a great responsibility. Now his secret crush Astrid the smart girl has come to him for help in finding her autistic brother and Sam is set on helping her. Caine and Diana from Coates Academy roll into town and start to set down some rules and suddenly the bullies find that this is their chance to do some damage. Secretly Sam hides a supernatural power that could kill everyone if he lets the fire escape from his hands. Strangely enough, Sam’s not the only one with supernatural powers. As things heat up there will be fights to the death, talking coyotes, an evil darkness, and creepy evil arms that will keep you turning the pages on this one. I will continue to read this incredible apocalyptic series, or maybe as you read you might find it may not even be apocalyptic but that evil has tipped the balance and is messing with your mind!