Terror

The Terror by Dan Simmons, 766 pages

The year is 1848.  Over a hundred men are spending their second winter trapped in their two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, off the coast of King William Island.  They are surrounded by ice, wind, and darkness.  They are running low on food, rum, and coal.  Worst of all, they are being hunted by a preternatural creature strong enough to tear a man in half and clever enough to sneak onto the very decks of their ships.  Nearly as mysterious is the young Esquimaux woman the crew call Lady Silence, who may or may not know something about these men and their fates, but whose tongue was bitten off at the root by someone or something long ago. 

The Terror falls prey to some of the cliches of historical fiction.  There's an extended passage in which a character expounds on the as yet unpublished theories of Darwin with which he is implausibly (though not impossibly) familiar, and Simmons only barely avoids turning his Inuit into noble savages.  The monster, being an unstoppable killing machine with an unknown origin and purpose, is unavoidably reminiscent of similar figures in Simmons' science fiction novels.  In another novel the monster would be a center of tension, something that can be directly faced and overcome in a way that cold and darkness cannot, but Simmons establishes fairly early on that nothing the sailors can do will more than temporarily inconvenience the creature.  When answers are provided, it is in the form of an exposition dump that could have been copy-pasted from some alternate universe's Dictionary of Inuit Mythology.  Nor do the characters provide much interest, for while a few are genuinely memorable, they have little to do except suffer through hundreds of pages of detailed descriptions of frostbite and scurvy, and the reader is invited to suffer alongside them.

And yet.

The final hundred pages are compelling in a way they could not have been without the long tale of thwarted adventure and dreary survival that preceded them.  It could perhaps have been more artfully done, but that it was done at all is a marvel and a gift.

The Grace Year

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett, 408 pages

“Survive the year. No one speaks of the grace year. It's forbidden. In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That's why they're banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive. Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life--a society that doesn't pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it's not just the brutal elements they must fear. It's not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.” This book was amazing.  It drew me in almost immediately and I loved it.  It was terrifying and tender, dreadful and hopeful.  The writing is beautiful and I would highly recommend it to teens who like dystopian and subtle horror stories.

The Lonely Hearts Hotel: A Novel

The Lonely Hearts Hotel: A Novel by Heather O’Neill               Audiobook: 12 hours, 2 minutes      Hardback Book:  400 pages                  

Great bittersweet story.    Reminds me of Pierrot, the sad French clown pining for his love, Columbine (cue the French accordion music).    But that is another story.   This story begins with the pregnancy of an unwed mother’s dropping their babies off at a Catholic orphanage in Montreal.    The children grow up unloved and brutalized by the nuns though they form bonds with the other children in the orphanage through their comical antics and musical abilities.   They have such tragic beginnings and even more tragic lives as they are treated like scum by the nuns and beaten for any thing and most times for no reason other than the nuns dislike the children because they feel they are abhorrant for being born out of wedlock to women who were looked down upon as whores and the children were made to pay for the sins of their mothers just for breathing.    The children somehow manage to keep their sanity though many crazy things happen to them and they fall in love.    Rose, the girl loves to dance to Pierrot, the boy’s piano playing.     A rich female benefactor offers the mother superior a large donation is she will let them come to her house to play piano and sing and dance for her guest which gets them a lot of gigs with the rich folks in town and become quite lucrative for the nuns.    After they are released from the orphanage at 19 the boy and 17 the girl.     The boy was adopted by a rich donor to the orphanage who heard the boy playing piano while he was there and was taken with the beautiful mellifluous tones.   The girl was sent to work as a maid and a nanny for a well-to-do family whose children were terrors, but, because of the girl’s winning way with children she was able to win the children’s adoration because she is always doing stuff that is Waaaaay out there herself.    She often dances with an invisible bear, etc.    Much more happens in this household which leads to a big change in Rose’s life.    Around this same time Pierrot has been writing to Rose at the orphanage but the nuns throw his letters away leaving him to think Rose received them but was not speaking to him for leaving.   In truth she never knew about the letters.   There paths come so close to crossing so many times over the years and each finds themselves in amazing circumstances learning new skills and making new connections.    Great story, if sad at times.   There is so much happening all the time throughout the book and the reader will be spellbound to find out what comes next.      I don’t want to give any more away but trust me this is an awesome book truly defining the when life gives you lemons make lemonade outside of the box survivalist thinking.    Just excellent.   It is a must read if you like stories with lots of loosends that come together in markedly unique ways it is a total pageturner!    I recommend this book for adults, maybe older teens,  there are many things that happen that are pertinent to the story but maybe a little too adult themed.   GOOD BOOK, I applaud you, Heather O’Neill you really capture the spirit of the moments.   

 - Shirley J.

Reboot

Reboot by Amy Tintera     365 pages

Seventeen-year-old Wren rises from the dead as a Reboot and is trained as an elite crime-fighting soldier until she is given an order she refuses to follow

I’ve had this book on my to-read list for a while and now that I have a small fr

iend group book club, I’ve finally found the chance to do so and I’m glad I did. This book was a fun, action-packed read that is full of things I love: a bad-ass female main character, science-fiction/future setting, and an intriguing storyline.

That being said, I wasn’t wowed by this book. It was certainly enjoyable, but it had a few bits here and there that made this just a middle grade rating for me:

For one, I felt the romance was a bit rushed and sort of took over Wren’s bad-ass character style. I felt like she started the book as yes, a bit of a hard-to-like character, what with her enjoyment of chasing down humans and fighting them, incarcerating them, and/or killing them. But, I gave her leeway because she has been trained to do so since she was 12, an impressionable age. I like that she started breaking out of this shell once she meets Callum and realizes that she does have the capability to feel things (when up until this point she’s thought of herself as next-to being like a robot). I like that he helps her discover new things about herself, but I dislike that he so quickly falls for her (basically insta-love on his part) and that they go from begrudgingly friends to romantically involved. Suddenly Wren goes from being really in control of situations to being like most typical YA main characters: the boy becomes their whole center of being, from which the orient themselves and they suddenly become the incapable one in the relationship.

The only thing that saves it from being a total loss is that Wren is still mostly capable in the physical department: she is stronger (yes, partly because of her Reboot number), better equipped to save the day (and often is saving Callum’s butt), and she is often the one emotionally supporting Callum. I am glad that, though they are given an opportunity within the book, that Wren and Callum do not have sex (mostly because Callum would like for Wren to be more enthusiastic/on-board with it when the do). Many YA books these days seem to insist on having young, teenage couples have at least one sex-scene. While both Wren and Callum are virgins (and it’s stated in the book that Reboots frequently have intimate relations in the HARC facility), they know enough that they could do it, but choose not to. It’s a bit refreshing and it also gives them more time to get to know each other better and solidify their relationship (even though the both are clearly ready to throw their lives away for it – which was one of my issues with this couple).

I understand, when writing a YA romance, especially with teens, that things move quickly. Wren and Callum, however, seem to develop a bit of the Romeo/Juliet thing, more so on Wren’s side, where they don’t want a plan B in case one of them dies. Wren doesn’t want to think about any scenario in which Callum might die because if he does, their plans suddenly become pointless to her, as if her life will have no meaning after. I understand that Callum is the catalyst in her becoming more human and less robot-like, but it’s still irksome to see.

That brings me to my main issue with this book: Callum’s love for Wren is the main reason that Wren decides to break free of her bonds and escape. A relationship is the reason that the rest of the book becomes necessary because if she didn’t feel things for Callum and knew that he felt things for her, she never would have wanted to escape, would have continued living her life as a HARC slave. It’s disappointing, because Wren seems so awesome and competent, but I understand that Tintera is attempting to use her age and the length of her stay at HARC as the reason why Wren would never leave. But I say – write her character differently, then. I don’t like that she needs a love interest to be the reason for her to want to escape.

Right, so the good bits:

I like this world that Tintera has built: a sort-of post-apocalyptic United States, or more specifically Texas. Characters often refer to some Reboot vs. human war, which ended up destroying most things and which is the main reason why HARC exists. It sounds like an epic story and I enjoyed getting to read about this new United States, where children who get this disease KDH then come back as a weird kind of high-functioning zombie when they die. The whole minutes dead = how skilled a zombie you are is quite interesting.

I also quite like the tension between humans and Reboots – that most families are horrified by/don’t want to be around their undead children, that most humans are terrified of Reboots (mostly because of lies that HARC has fed the populace). I like the big bad company HARC and how it manipulates both the Reboots (telling them minimal information so they can use them as basically slaves that then further enforce their enslavement) and humans to be mistrustful of each other. If I end up reading the second one, I hope Tintera includes a plot of humans and Reboots breaking that cycle and learning to live alongside each other. In fact, I hope that’s one of the main plot points. I like that there are human rebels (yay, rebels!) who believe in a different world and attempt to rescue Reboots and take down HARC. I’m always in for a good underdog story.

All in all, the world is well built, the characters are pretty solid. Aside from me ragging on Callum’s and Wren’s relationship, I think Callum is a pretty cool dude (maybe a bit too good to be true), likable, kind, and super not into killing (like, my level not-into-killing, as in, I’d rather die than kill someone else not-into-killing). I think he and Wren balance each other well and they’re both good for each other – Callum helps Wren get in-touch with her feelings and Wren helps build Callum’s strength. I liked Ever, Wren’s Reboot friend, as well. Most of the other characters are a bit one-note, but they’re also not in the story very much.

The final conflict went a bit too well for my taste – the puzzle pieces all fell into place nicely for Wren, which didn’t leave much room for believability, but I still enjoyed the ride. I will probably end up reading the next book, just to see where things go and how Wren and Callum progress.  I would recommend this to teens looking for a good action-pact story and who like supernatural/sci-fi elements. This book, I think, could be of interest to boys and girls, which is a plus in its favor.

The Last Star

TheLast Star by Rick Yancey, 338 pages

“The enemy is Other. The enemy is us. They're down here, they're up there, they're nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us. But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves. In these last days, Earth's remaining survivors will need to decide what's more important: saving themselves . . . or saving what makes us human.” I’m kind of glad this series is over.  I think I’ve realized that I don’t really like adventure stories when so many characters I like die.  However, teens who like dystopian stories will enjoy the series.

The Hunted

The Hunted by Charlie Higson, 454 pages

“Ella is out in the country, alone now except for her silent rescuer, Scarface, about whom she knows nothing, while Ed leaves London on a dangerous quest, determined to find Ella and keep his promise to Small Sam that he will reunite sister and brother.” This series got a little difficult in the middle but the first couple of books were pretty good and I felt like this one was an improvement over some of the middle ones.  I kind of feel like it’s dragging out too long though.  I’ll be glad to get the end of this series.  However, teens who like horror, especially zombies, will like it.

Tool Of War

Tool Of Warby Paolo Bacigalupi, 377 pages

“Set in a dark future devastated by climate change, Tool of War is the third book in a major adventure series by a bestselling and award-winning science fiction author and starring the most provocative character from the acclaimed novels Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities. In this gripping, eerily prescient sci-fi thriller that Kirkus described as "masterful," Tool--a half-man/half-beast designed for combat--proves himself capable of so much more than his creators had ever dreamed. He has gone rogue from his pack of bioengineered "augments" and emerged a victorious leader of a pack of human soldier boys. But he is hunted relentlessly by someone determined to destroy him, who knows an alarming secret: Tool has found the way to resist his genetically ingrained impulses of submission and loyalty toward his masters... The time is coming when Tool will embark on an all-out war against those who have enslaved him. From one of science fiction's undisputed masters comes a riveting and all-too-timely page-turner that explores the intricate relationships connecting hunter and prey, master and enslaved, human and monster.” This was amazing.  It may be my favorite book in this series so far.  Tool was a masterful character and even if the other characters were weak or the action sparse, it probably would have been worth reading just for the development of Tool’s character.  Teens who like fantasy and dystopian novels will definitely want to read this.

Crooked Kingdom

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo     536 pages

The Six of Crows team is back, this time, double-crossed and fighting for their lives, they attempt to pull off one last heist to gain back what they were promised. The crew faces steep odds and must rely on their varied strengths as the fight, not only for themselves but also the world, to destroy the secret to making jurda parem and maybe gain the lives they've always wanted.

This was a disappointing end to a very cool duology. I don't even know why I thought I could trust Bardugo after the way her last series ended. I am 100% done with her. If you can't come up with a plausible reason why my favorite character has to die, then you can't be trusted.

This story was interesting - not as well crafted as the first installment - but then she had to go and ruin it. I was right in my assumption - she loves neat, put together relationships. Each of the six paired up nicely. In this way, the characters are laughably basic YA stock characters, which is a shame, because, really, in all other respects, (with the exception of Wylan, and sometimes Jesper, who truly bored me), they were complex, well thought out characters. 

And, ultimately, I can't forgive Bardugo, EVER, for killing my favorite character (and needlessly, at that). I'm sorry. I just can't. And I vow to never let Bardugo to do this to me again. This is the end.

Survivor Diaries: Overboard!

Survivor Diaries: Overboard by Terry Lynn Johnson    112 pages

This is the third book in author Terry Lynn Johnson’s “Survivor Diaries” series. All the books have the same tagline: “Stay Calm. Stay Smart. Survive.”

In this short book, Johnson uses fictional characters to make what could be a dull story into an exciting adventure that left me cheering for the main protagonist.

Travis and his family are going whale-watching off the coast of Washington. The voyage is interesting, mainly because the captain has a daughter, Maria, about Travis’s age whom he finds cute.  He stays close by her during the voyage.

When a whale attacks the ship, Travis and Maria are thrown overboard. In the chaos, they can’t locate the boat. Luckily, Maria knows her stuff and helps Travis navigate the frigid waters.

A wonderful combination of fiction and nonfiction makes for fascinating reading, and readers of any age can learn how to survive in water. Survivor Diaries: Overboard receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The girl in the road

The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne (4 stars, hardback, 323 pages) science fiction, pirate, survival

 Separated by thousands of miles and more, two troubled women undertake epic flights from danger, marked by curious similarities. Meena flees an assassination attempt in India by planning to cross the Trail, a “Blue Energy” bridge that spans the Arabian Sea. In performing this illegal and dangerous act, she hopes to enter Ethiopia and find out who killed her parents. Mariama flees slavery as a child, joining a caravan bound for Ethiopia as well. She comes under the wing of a woman she calls Yemaya. Each of these women are recovering from trauma - there is something that they are not telling us. The journeys build to a compelling series of shocking revelations and conclusions.

 The setting is rich, incorporating the cultures of India and Africa in the near future. Tantalizingly attainable aspects of the future are peppered throughout; things like automated cabs, inclusive legislation, perfect birth and STI control, universal translation devices,  and the very Road that Meena walks. It inhabits and flavors the world, but does not overwhelm it. This isn’t the classic science fiction, with lasers and spaceships. It’s the more contemplative breed found in the worlds of Ursula K. LeGuin. The flexibility of the genre creates a particularly intriguing locale in which to place an essentially human journey.

Byrne has a great sense of literature. The joy in this book is in the journey, in learning new details to slowly uncover a more accurate portrait of the world’s reality. Even if you don’t like every aspect of the characters presented - and you won’t - the slowly unraveling story of the past made it well worth the investment for me.

This is one of those novels that’s hard to talk about without spoilers, and spoilers would harm the expertly crafted narrative. Meena and Mariama were exceedingly well-developed, and their story arcs were perfect, but the actions of a couple of important side-characters seemed off-the-mark. We were left with a massive disruption to the setting that, though it wasn’t without foreshadowing, felt disconnected from the action of the novel. While I applaud Byrne for using non-western characters, I do wonder how their often-unflattering depictions are perceived in the cultures of Africa and India. Despite these misgivings, the well-scripted discovery of the plot made this an excellent read.

Wild Bird

Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen, 311 pages

“3:47 a.m. That's when they come for Wren Clemmens. She's hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who've gone so far off the rails, their parents don't know what to do with them anymore. This is wilderness therapy camp. Eight weeks of survivalist camping in the desert. Eight weeks to turn your life around. Yeah, right. The Wren who arrives in the Utah desert is angry and bitter, and blaming everyone but herself. But angry can't put up a tent. And bitter won't start a fire. Wren's going to have to admit she needs help if she's going to survive.” I don’t know how realistic this book is but it was fantastic.  I think this could give struggling teens hope.

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, 279 pages

Roz, a robot, activates on an island after a shipwreck.  She learns to adapt to life on the island, learning the language that the animals speak.  At first, the animals are afraid of her and think she is a monster, but slowly, Roz gains their trust and even friendship, especially after she adopts an orphaned goose.  This was a sweet story and completely awesome.  It had a lot of pictures and fairly short chapters, besides a captivating story, making it a good choice for reluctant readers, despite its slightly longer length.  

The Mountain Between US

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin    336 pages

Dr. Ben Payne is trying to get home to Jacksonville, Florida, after attending a medical conference. He is on a layover. Ashley Knox, a successful freelance journal, is eager to get home to Atlanta. Her wedding is in two days. 

Ben and Ashley are sitting near plugs, on the floor, working until they can board. However, a rapidly approaching winter storm is impacting the Salt Lake City airport. Flights are being canceled, but they each hold out hope. When one of the two de-icing trucks breaks down, a fight out that night seemed remote.

After they pick up a hotel voucher and trudge toward baggage claim, Ben spots a charter plane service across the way. He races over and convinces the pilot to take him to Denver. Grover, the pilot, reluctantly agrees. Remembering Ashley and her need to get to Atlanta, Ben hurries back to the terminal and asks her if she wants to catch a ride.

Agreeing, the two hop aboard with Grover and his dog, Tank. They take off with only minutes to spare before the storm closes the airport.  Mid-way through the flight, Grover suffers a massive coronary. The plane crashes into the High Unitas Wilderness---one of the harshest (the area gets 500-700 FEET of snow each year) and remotest areas in the continental U.S.

When Ben comes to, he is suffering from several broken ribs. Ashley has a leg fracture. The dog seems to be okay. It’s snowing. Hard. And it’s bitterly, bitterly cold.

Thankfully, Ben is a mountain climber. He has some equipment with him. One big problem. He could hike his way out; if he knew where he was. Not only that, Grover didn’t have to file a flight plan, so no one knows they are missing.

The story that follows is Ben, Ashley and Tank’s month-long quest to find food, water, warmth, and a way out.

Author Martin did an amazing job of repeating the same harrowing scene without the story becoming repetitious. Along the way, the two learn about each other lives, but Ben has a secrets. They are doled out slowly and are shocking, which only added to the tension of the story.

The Mountain Between Us gets 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

I received this book from Blogging for books in exchange for this review.

Feral Youth

Feral Youth by Shaun David Hutchinson, Brandy Colbert, Suzanne Young, Tim Floreen, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Stephanie Kuehn, E. C. Myers, Marieke Nijkamp, and Robin Talley    310 pages

At Zeppelin Bend, an outdoor education program designed to teach troubled youth the value of hard work, cooperation, and compassion, ten teens are left alone in the wild. The teens are a diverse group who come from all walks of life, and they were all sent to Zeppelin Bend as a last chance to get them to turn their lives around. They’ve just spent nearly two weeks learning to survive in the wilderness, and now their instructors have dropped them off eighteen miles from camp with no food, no water, and only their packs, and they’ll have to struggle to overcome their vast differences if they hope to survive.

Did it live up to the blurbs on the book - specifically the ones that caught my attention and made me want to give it a shot - i.e. "inspired by the Canterbury Tales," and the cover, let's be honest, is so beautiful and really fits my aesthetic - not really. I can see no connection that would warrant saying it's inspired by the Canterbury Tales other than that there are a whole bunch of people who are going somewhere and tell stories along the way - but kinda not really. 

The premise is a bit forced - the "narrator" suggests a storytelling contest for $100 dollars and, surprisingly, these disparate teens who seem to hate everything and each other, decide to go along with it. Their journey is a forced journey - they're in a "boot camp" of sorts for teens who broke the law in one way or another, and they've been prepped to survive in the woods and are then dumped in the middle of the woods, WITH NO COMPASSES, a flare gun that doesn't work, a knife, and sleeping bags. What kind of program thinks this is a good idea to let teens loose in the middle of the woods and expects them to get back at all, let alone unharmed? They weren't even given food!

I call B.S. on that whole business. The stories are loosely meant to explain why each teen is at the "camp" but mostly each story - and I mean all of them - is met with extreme doubt and bluff-calling. No one believes anyone's story is the "truth" and the beginning of the book contains a premise by the narrator about "what is the truth, anyway? You don't know my truth, you only know what you want to believe," and, "we're teens - no one believes us or wants to or understands us!!!" Okay, I get it. Teens are misrepresented all the time, misunderstood, yada yada. I was a teen. I work with teens. They're not all that mysterious. 

Now, the stories - some I liked, some I hated, some were straight up strange. The only story I really liked ended in a brutal murder, so I hope that teen's story wasn't actually true. Either way. This book was bizarre, at best, and does it's best to capture the unique teen experience, presenting a diverse cast of teens and their stories, attempting to address current issues, like woman's rights, minority rights, rape, etc. Some of the authors were successful in that regard, some not so much.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Fliesby William Golding, 240 pages

"William Golding's unforgettable classic of boyhood adventure and the savagery of humanity comes to Penguin Classics in a stunning Graphic Deluxe Edition with a new foreword by Lois Lowry. As provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, Lord of the Flies continues to ignite passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary boys marooned on a coral island has been labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, and even a vision of the apocalypse. But above all, it has earned its place as one of the indisputable classics of the twentieth century for readers of any age."  Creepy but thought provoking.  I'm not sure that I can say that I liked the book but I'm not sorry that I finally read it.  I probably wouldn't reread it but I would recommend it to people looking to read the classics.

Carve the Mark

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth, 470 pages

“On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not--their gifts make them vulnerable to others' control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world? Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra's currentgift gives her pain and power--something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother's hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows. Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive--no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive--or to destroy one another.” I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the second book.  I liked the Divergent series but I think this is much better.  Give this to teens who like science fiction.

Vessel

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst, 424 pages

Liyana is prepared to die.  her body will become a vessel f to house her goddess, Bayla, while her spirit moves on into the Dreaming.  Bayla will be able to do magic that will allow her clan to survive the drought.  Without the use of Liyana's body, her goddess will not be able to affect the earth and would not be able to help the clan.  On the day of the ceremony, everything goes exactly as planned, except that the goddess doesn't come.  Liyana's clan is left bereft, unsure what to do and end up abandoning Liyana to what is surely death in the desert, until a boy shows up out of nowhere.  The boy, Korbyn, may have the answers to what happened to Bayla and how to fix the void she left.  This book is one of the best books I've ever read, definitely my favorite by this author.  Teens who like fantasy will probably love it.

The Long Run

TheLong Run by Joseph Bruchac, 114 pages

Travis is a great runner.  At 17, he and his father have been on the road for 4 years, ever since Travis's mother died.  But Travis's dad is a drunk and hasn't been able to hold down a job.  For the past few months they've been living in a homeless shelter.  Travis misses his grandparents and when some other boys in the shelter try to plant drugs on Travis to get him in trouble, he decides it's time to leave.  Unfortunately he and his father are in Seattle and his grandparents, the only place Travis can go, live in Maine.  Undeterred, Travis sets out on a journey that may change his life.  This is a great read for a reluctant or low level teen reader, especially boys who like realistic fiction.

Silver

Silver by Chris Wooding, 313 pages

“The final exam is survival.  Paul is the new kid at Mortingham Boarding Academy, and he has a dark secret.  Caitlyn admires Paul from afar and resents that he only has eyes for Erika.  Erika thinks that she and Caitlyn are best friends, but she's wrong.  Adam is a bully with a major chip on his shoulder.  Mark is outgrowing his old friends but doesn't know how to make new ones.  In a few short hours, none of this will matter. Without warning, a horrifying infection will spread across the school grounds, and a group of students with little in common will find themselves barricaded in a classroom, fighting for their lives. Some will live. Some will die. And then it will get even worse.”  This was a totally creepy science fiction horror story for teens that I would highly recommend.  Once I got started I didn’t want to put it down.

Wrecks of the Medusa

The Wreck of the Medusa: The Most Famous Sea Disaster of the Nineteenth Century by Jonathan Miles, 249 pages

and

Wreck of the Medusa: Mutiny, Murder, and Survival on the High Seas by Alexander McKee, 290 pages

In 1816, the frigate Medusa, enroute from France to Senegal with 400 passengers and crew, ran aground on a sandbar in the Bay of Arguin off the Mauritanian coast.  The ship's boats could not carry everyone, and 147 people were crammed onto a hastily built raft.  The initial plan to tow the raft to safety was swiftly abandoned - if it was ever seriously intended - and the craft was left to drift with the current.  Fighting soon broke out over the limited supplies and space, cannibalism followed, and finally the weaker survivors were tossed overboard in order to conserve what little remained.  When rescued 12 days later, only 15 men survived, five of whom died within days.  

This remarkable story of shipwreck and survival created a sensation in a France still divided by the Revolution and Bonaparte, and there were immediate attempts to capitalize on the tragedy as emblematic of the incompetence and venality of the restored Bourbon monarchy.  It was soon immortalized by painter Theodore Gericault in his 1819 masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa, which continues to inspire interest in the tale of the ill-fated frigate two centuries later.

Alexander McKee's Wreck of the Medusa was originally published in 1976 as Death Raft, while The Wreck of the Medusa by Jonathan Miles was published in 2007.  The lurid original title of the former honestly announces its nature as a pulp adventure tale, while the latter book is more interested in the broader significance of the event than the details of the event itself.  Unexpectedly, it is the adventure tale which is more open about conflicts in the primary sources - Miles seems to have ignored competing claims until his conclusion.  Miles' account quickly becomes jumbled and confused, clumsily shifting between the story of the Medusa and the life of Gericault and doing a better job describing the latter, especially immediately after the wreck when even a straightforward retelling is forced to deal with no fewer than six separate groups of survivors.  McKee, for his part, only briefly deals with Gericault, but includes details of other analogous incidents from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries which, besides being interesting in themselves, illumine the main story, though not as much as the author claims.