Vox

Vox by Christina Dalcher   326 pages

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than one hundred words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day, but now women have only one hundred to make themselves heard.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

Vox is very much in line with the resurgence of feminist dystopia novels that have scary elements of truth to our realities. To coin a term from 1984, we live in a NewSpeakian world, where the power of language, or words and how they are used and controlled, offers considerable insight into the non-science fiction reality we currently inhabit. Vox is not at all different from our societal  norm, that those in power want to silence those who object, whatever their gender. 

The story moves along at a good clip, making this a pretty fast read. It is engaging and anxiety-inducing, in a good way. But I found the resolution even more unlikely than the underlying notion. If tight plotting  is important to you, then you will probably be disappointed. But then this is not intended to be an action-adventure story; it is a warning about the cost of silence, and how not speaking up now can shut you up later, to the detriment, not only of yourself, but of generations to come.

Posted by: Regina C.  

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 Water Cure

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh     288 pages

From Goodreads:


King has tenderly staked out a territory for his wife and three daughters, Grace, Lia, and Sky. He has lain the barbed wire; he has anchored the buoys in the water; he has marked out a clear message: Do not enter. Or viewed from another angle: Not safe to leave. Here women are protected from the chaos and violence of men on the mainland. The cult-like rituals and therapies they endure fortify them from the spreading toxicity of a degrading world.

But when their father, the only man they’ve ever seen, disappears, they retreat further inward until the day three strange men wash ashore. Over the span of one blistering hot week, a psychological cat-and-mouse game plays out. Sexual tensions and sibling rivalries flare as the sisters confront the amorphous threat the strangers represent. Can they survive the men?

Review:

Overall, it's a stunning book, very thought provoking, and I couldn't have imagined where it would lead me. Though I'm not normally a fan of multiple points of view, here, I think, Mackintosh has utilized this tool to the greatest effect. It really shines. I will definitely be recommending this book.

Pure

Pure by Julianna Baggott   431 pages

In the dystopic world Baggott has created, there are two types of people: the Pure who live in a protected dome and the people who survived the Detonations, only to try to survive in the hostile environment they've been left with.  Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during what people call the Before. However, she's one of the many who have permanent burns, scars and fused, damaged bodies. She's also at the dangerous age of 16, when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to be trained (or, if they are weak, to be used as live targets).

At the seemingly opposite end of the spectrum is Partridge, a Pure whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome. However, Partridge feels claustrophobic in the Dome and can't stop thinking about whether his mother, who never made it into the Dome, is still alive. Risking his life to leave the Dome to find her, Partridge isn't sure where to go or who to trust, even as he realizes just how dangerous the world outside the Dome is.

I gave this book a re-read because I remember really liking it (and also enjoying the other 2 books in the trilogy).  It's been a few years so while I remembered some of the story, there was a lot that was new.  The story isn't perfect; there are parts that drag and the storyline about the militia raises enough questions to make it a kind of weak story element (in my opinion).  However, I enjoy the dual perspectives of Pressia and Partridge, and I really, really like this horrifying world that Baggott created.  The whole concept of people surviving the Detonations, but as beings who are fused to things (metal, glass, objects, even other people) gives this dystopia a really awful (yet fascinating) quality. The story has fairly even pacing to it, and a wealth of interesting characters, as well.

The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken     488 pages

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for

kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.

If there was any book I would recommend for those who have read and liked The Hunger Games series, this is IT (aside from telling them they have to read Battle Royale first). It's got kids fighting for their lives (against other kids and adults, really), it's got an over-arching governmental bad-guy, it's got betrayal/suspicion vibes all over it. It really fits right in there, so I'm surprised I'd never heard of this book until I started seeing movie trailers popping up for it.

Honestly, this book is probably even better written than The Hunger Games - Bracken has a strong writing style that grabs you and doesn't let go. This book made me so anxious the entire time I was reading it. It's a very on-the-edge-of-your-seat type read. The plot is hard hitting, a bit slow on take-off, but once it takes off, BAM! You're in the thick of it and it doesn't slow down, not even at the end. It really rolls you right into the next book, you feel you have to keep reading to get to the bottom of this story.

Ruby is certainly a more likable figure than Katniss will ever be (but for those who are fans of Katniss, I say this not to diss her). Ruby is softer than Katniss, but she has that hard-hitting, fueled-by-anger-fighter in her that, when unleashed, could definitely rival Katniss. Ruby fights for the ones she loves, she is not going to roll over and take it lying down. But she is also fragile in this book, probably the most fragile she will be in the entire series, but Bracken doesn't make that seem like a bad thing. In fact, by the end of it, Ruby recognizes that her gentle side, her loving side, is a real, valuable part of her, one that she has to put away for the time being to get things done. But when it's all said and done, that rougher, monstrous side of her is not something to be proud of, only a necessary evil. Like Katniss, Ruby takes up the gauntlet for her friends, her family, and she will fight to protect those she loves. She is willing to play the game.

This is a great, action-paced YA dystopian book, full of amazing characters and well-written dialog and character development (and it's diverse, which is nice!). Ruby, Liam, Chubs, and Zu feel like a family and it's such a great thing to see develop. I can't recommend this book more, it's so good.

Replica

Replica by Lauren Oliver, 520 pages

“Lyra's story begins in the Haven Institute, a building tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida that from a distance looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth, Haven is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. When a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects--Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72--manage to escape. Gemma has been in and out of hospitals for as long as she can remember. A lonely teen, her life is circumscribed by home, school, and her best friend, April. But after she is nearly abducted by a stranger claiming to know her, Gemma starts to investigate her family's past and discovers her father's mysterious connection to the secretive Haven research facility. Hungry for answers, she travels to Florida, only to stumble upon two replicas and a completely new set of questions. While the stories of Lyra and Gemma mirror each other, each contains breathtaking revelations critically important to the other story. Turn the book one way and read Lyra's story; turn the book over and upside down and read Gemma's story. The two distinct parts of this novel combine to produce an unforgettable experience for its two young heroines--and its reader.” I liked the way book was two stories in one, giving us basically the same story from two different people’s perspective.  I also thought that the story was believable and slightly horrifying in ways.  However, I also thought that it was hopeful.  Teens who like science fiction will enjoy this book.

Future Home of the Living God

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich, 269 pages

The title refers to a sign the main character sees near the beginning of the book. Cedar is heading to see her birth mother who had recently contacted her. She is pregnant and wants to get information from her about her family medical history and find out why she was put up for adoption. Meanwhile, something strange is happening in the world and people, especially scientists, are trying to figure it out. Evolution appears to be going backwards but nobody knows why and scientists aren't sure.

Pregnant women are being rounded up and kept against their wills. If their babies are successfully born, they are taken from the women. Cedar must try to evade the authorities. At the same time, she is trying to get to know her birth family and navigate her relationship with her adopted parents.

It was a good book and I would recommend it to others who like fiction but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for more about how evolution was going backward and how society was breaking down. In some ways I found it similar to Station Eleven because the dystopia is more of a background than the focus.

Marked

Marked by Jenny Martin, 361 pages

"Cash, the prince of Bisera and leader of the rebellion, is missing. Phee's uncle James is dead. And Charles Benroyal, once again, is behind it all. Caught between grief, thoughts of revenge, and traumatizing flashbacks of battle, Phee struggles to aid the resistance and prove her worth, even as she attempts to reconcile her growing romantic feelings for Bear with her loyalty to Cash. But when Benroyal's attacks grow bolder, no one is prepared for the sacrifices Phee will have to make to win this war once and for all. With the high-stakes action ofa The Fast and the Furious , a swoony love triangle, and a wholly original science fiction world,a Marked awill have your heart racing until its breathless conclusion.” I liked this book.  It was a great sequel to the Tracked.  I like that it wrapped up in two books too.  I would give this to teens who like dystopian and science fiction type novels.

Shades of Grey

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (4 stars, 390 pages, paperback)

This is a fascinating and hilarious book. In this world, possibly a distant future after Something Happened, people have limited color perception. Society is based on the works of Albert Munsell, color scientist and inventor of the Munsell Color System.What colors you can see determine your caste in society, and how much of your colors you can see influences your rank. Purples are at the top of society (aside from the almost-unheard of people who can see all colors), while the unfortunate Greys can see little color and form the working class. Color forms the basis of medical care, drugs, employment, last names, and pretty much every aspect of their lives.

Eddie Russett is a Red. As the story opens, his father has been sent to the town of East Carmine to fill in as relief swatchman - a doctor, who heals people with color swatches. Eddie tags along as a punishment - officially, he’s conducting a chair census. The book follows him as he navigates new friendships (and crushes), marriage contracts, the will of the collective, and the dangers of lightning. Along the way, he learns some things about his society, and of course, about himself.

Fforde has achieved an epic feat of imagination and world-building. The dystopia exists somewhere on the spectrum between teen fiction and classic Orwellian sci-fi, but it’s all dealt with in the deadpan humor of an expert satirist. It drags a bit in the middle when the plot stalls, but the comedy and creativity kept me coming back.

It’s the first of a planned series. You can tell the story is not done, but the book has a reasonably bittersweet conclusion. If you’re allergic to unfinished stories, maybe you should hold off, but there’s no clear indication that the next books are coming anytime soon. Personally, it’s well worth the read for the world-building alone.

Elite

Elite by Mercedes Lackey, 360 pages

“Hunting monsters was supposed to be the hard part. When Joy came to Apex City, all she cared about was protecting the Cits from the dangers lurking outside protective barriers. She understood the need for the secrecy surrounding her Hunts-no need to cause a panic by announcing just how real a threat the Othersiders pose. But as she quickly discovered, the conspiracies of the city run much deeper. And a dangerous new covert mission leaves Joy with a target on her back once more. Joy desperately seeks answers to figure out who her real enemies are before all-out war.”  This is the Sequel to Hunter, which I didn’t realize when I started reading it.  I would have preferred to read them in order, because there were a lot of references in the beginning to events from the previous book.  Despite that, I really liked the book.  I would highly recommend it to teens who like fantasy and adventure, especially if they like battle scenes and death.

Hunter

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey, 374 pages

“They came after the Diseray. Some were terrors ripped from our collective imaginations, remnants of every mythology across the world. And some were like nothing anyone had ever dreamed up, even in their worst nightmares. Monsters. Long ago, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were ripped open, and it's taken centuries to bring back civilization in the wake of the catastrophe. Now, the luckiest Cits live in enclosed communities,behind walls that keep them safe from the hideous creatures fighting to break through. Others are not so lucky. To Joyeaux Charmand, who has been a Hunter in her tight-knit mountain community since she was a child, every Cit without magic deserves her protection from dangerous Othersiders. Then she is called to Apex City, where the best Hunters are kept to protect the most important people. Joy soon realizes that the city's powerful leaders care more about luring Cits into a false sense of security than protecting them. More and more monsters are getting through the barriers,and the close calls are becoming too frequent to ignore. Yet the Cits have no sense of how much danger they're in-to them, Joy and her corp of fellow Hunters are just action stars they watch on TV. When an act of sabotage against Joy takes an unbearable toll, Joy uncovers a terrifying conspiracy in the city. There is something much worse than the usual monsters infiltrating Apex. And it may be too late to stop them.”  Excellent book.  I hope more books in this series are planned because I love it.  I would highly recommend it to teen fans of fantasy and adventure.

The Water Knife

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi, 371 pages

"Angel is a water knife for the South Nevada Water Authority, pitting himself against anyone who threatens Las Vegas and its control of water rights from the precious reserves of the Colorado River even if it means cutting desert communities off at the knees. Lucy is a journalist chronicling the desperate state of affairs in drought-ridden Phoenix. Maria is a refugee from Texas struggling to make ends meet. Their lives converge in a city dying from a lack of water but drowning in violence, and all become tangled in the search for long-lost water rights that could change the power structure of the American Southwest."  This might be my favorite book by this author.  Adults who like dystopian novels will love this story.  I definitely did.

Martians

Martians by Blythe Woolston, 216 pages

Zoe is graduating early, unexpectedly, with the rest of her class.  Fortunately, unlike many of her class she is being recommended for employment at both AllMART and Q-MART.  On the same day, her mother announces that she is moving so she is glad that Zoe will be able to take care of herself.  Zoe ends up employed at AllMART and living with a small group of young adults in an abandoned strip mall.  Zoe isn’t sure what she wants exactly, but she knows she wants more than this.  This is a really bizarre dystopian future story but I liked it.  Teen fans of dystopia should read this.

IA: Initiate

IA: Initiate by John Darryl Winston   218 pages

IA: Initiate is a young adult novel touted to be a supernatural thriller. Taking place in a dystopian America seemingly not far into the future, IA: Initiate is the story of thirteen-year-old “Naz” Anderson. He’s lucky. He and his little sister, Meri, have been fostered by the same parents, but the urban area, the Exclave,  in which they reside seems something out of the Kurt Russell movie, Escape from New York or any of the inner cities of the country’s largest cities.

The setup for the story opens in the past, which is written in present tense. Winston does a good job with this. Then, beginning with Chapter One, the timeframe moves to the present, told in past tense. Interesting concept.

Naz does his best to keep a low profile. It’s rather difficult. His foster parents are awful. He sleepwalks. He hears voices. All that makes a great composite for a character, but that’s the extent of the supernatural powers he has. He tried to stay off the streets if at all possible for fear of the gangs. 

One day he sees some of the gang members while he and Meri are going to school. He manages to dodge them long enough to get Meri to school, but on his way to a different school, there is a confrontation. Luckily, his best and only fried, Ham, is there to help him. Ham gets stabbed, but Naz escapes. It seems as if Naz drops Ham like a hot potato. He never goes to check on him or even worries about him.

I must have missed a lot in my reading. First, I didn’t see any supernatural powers. I read on Amazon that Naz has telekinetic and telepathic abilities.  I don’t recall any, other than the hearing of voices. Then there is the IA. I thought, until I finished the book and read it on Amazon, that IA stood for International Academy. On Amazon, I learn that is one of the Exclave’s most infamous gangs, Incubus Apostles. Third, I’m assuming that the chapters were about Naz andMeri’s biological parents, but I was never sure.

There is a sequel to IA: Initiate. Hopefully, it’s better than this one. IA: Initiate. gets 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Extras

Extras by Scott Westerfeld, 399 pages

“Extras, the final book in the Uglies series, is set a couple of years after the "mind-rain," a few earth-shattering months in which the whole world woke up. The cure has spread from city to city, and the pretty regime that kept humanity in a state of bubbleheadedness has ended. Boundless human creativity, new technologies, and old dangers have been unleashed upon the world. Culture is splintering, the cities becoming radically different from each other as each makes its own way into this strange and unpredictable future . . .  One of the features of the new world is that everyone has a "feed," which is basically their own blog/myspace/tv channel. The ratings of your feed (combined with how much the city interface overhears people talking about you) determines your social status--so everyone knows at all times how famous they are.  As Scott Westerfeld explored the themes of extreme beauty in the first three Uglies books, now he takes on the world's obsession with fame and popularity. And how anyone can be an instant celebrity.”  This book was really good.  I think it was my favorite out of this series, actually.  The more Westerfeld books I read, the more I understand the hype.  

The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, 311 pages

Offred is the name given to the main character of this dystopian fiction. It's not her real name, of course, but when everything changed and women became little more than property to be "protected" by her society, her name became a label indicating what man she belonged to. Offred is a handmaid, which is a woman who serves as a vessel for infertile families.  She is basically no more than a sexual object, both reviled by most of society and recognized as a necessary role in an age of drastically declining birth rates.  This is a story that in its telling sounds like an impossibility, but it raises much to discuss regarding reproductive control, the dangers of being uninformed, radical and mainstream feminism, and institutional misogyny as perpetuated by both men and women. This is one of those "classics" that has earned the description.

Through the Dark

Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken, 400 pages

I feel similarly about this series of three novellas (which fit after each of the books of the main trilogy, as entries 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5) to how I feel about the original three books (which began with The Darkest Minds). The first novella, "In Time," is the best of the three, and not only has the strongest message, but also the strongest emotional core. The second novella, "Sparks Rise," has at least one very peculiar plot point, and paints a picture so bleak that the tragedy almost gets repetitive. The third novella, "Beyond the Night," tries to strike a kind of balance between the two, only partially succeeds, and ends a bit too cleanly, given everything that leads up to it.

Taken as a whole, the three books and three novellas create a very well-realized world. At its best, it creates characters that you'll love and root for, and compelling (if not entirely unique) struggles for them to work through together. At its worst, it becomes predictable, dour, and almost (but not!) lifeless. In the end, though, even the weakest points kept me reading, and the best points make this a series worth recommending for those not already burnt out on YA dystopia.

In the story itself, quotes like this occasionally feel forced, but this one in particular does sum up the series as a whole:

"...we are stronger for what's happened to us... We have been given the gift of understanding that we can come through struggle and pain... We have learned that life is one journey, and the purpose is not to reach some treasure at the end of it, but to find the courage to decide which paths to take, who to travel with, and to let things fall into place as they should and will." -Beyond the Night, p.365

Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, 391 page


Catching Fire, as I'm sure it is very well known, is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It picks up roughly where the first book left off: the months following Katniss and Peeta's victory in the Hunger Games arena. The book quickly picks up steam as less of a dystopian novel and more of a revolutionary story. I am still quite amazed as to what passes as young adult subject matter, and I am increasingly anxious as to what the third book will bring in terms of tumultuous emotions.

I am still way behind the times as I finished Catching Fire. Nevertheless, I finished it, and I will finish the trilogy...once I get through a few books with an upbeat edge first.

Tracked

Tracked by Jenny Martin, 389 pages

Phoebe is a racer on a world that is completely controlled by corporations.  She is racing illicitly until she is caught and offered a choice: race for Benroyal Corp or go to a prison labor camp.  Going to the camp means certain death within the year so even though she hates the corporations, she agrees, on the condition that her pacer, Bear, who was also captured, is released and added to her racing team.  Once Phee starts racing she becomes aware that there is a lot more intrigue among the corporations than she realized, and that some people may be working to bring down the corporations.  Phee wants to be involved but is worried about her adoptive family getting hurt in the process.  This was a good story.  I was sucked into it pretty quickly.  This is for teens who like realistic science fiction with a little adventure and mystery thrown in.

City 1

City 1 by Gregg Rosenblum, 282 pages

"From the creators of Homeland and American Horror Story comes City 1, the chilling finale to the Revolution 19 trilogy. The time has come to win the cities back from the bots--or die trying. After finally reuniting at a rebel camp, siblings Nick, Kevin, and Cass are willing to do anything to stay together--and free their parents from bot rule. But the leader of the rebel camp has her own ideas. Cruel and determined, General Clay won't let anything stand in the way of her plan to destroy the robots and all the brainwashed humans. This means their parents' lives are at stake, but Nick, Kevin, and Cass can't desert the rebels when they're so close to freedom. How far will they go to save the world they believe in?"  I really liked this book.  I thought it was a great conclusion to a good series.  This might have been my favorite of the trilogy, actually.  Teens who like the dystopian novels will enjoy it.