Bloodsong by Melvin Burgess

Burgess, Melvin (2005). Bloodsong. London, England: Andersen Press Ltd. 

ISBN: 9781416936169

384 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: Myth, Relationships, War, Heroism, Betrayal, Dystopia, 

Reader's Annotation

In future war-ravaged Britain where machines inhabit the same world as human-animal hybrids, 15-year-old Sigurd must claim his royal lineage and accomplish a series of impossible tasks- but will that be enough? 

Summary

In future Britain, a post-apocalyptic landscape reveals that the future has been anything but sweet. This story, part science fiction and part fantasy, weaves the tale of the lives and deaths of 15-year-old Sigurd. In this world, there are machines as well as animal-human hybrids, terrifying warlords, incredible technology used for destruction, and hideous beasts that present danger at every turn. After Sigurd is sent on a suicide mission, he then must pass a series of impossible tasks that force him to prove his courage, intelligence, and ingenuity as he passes into the underworld and must find his way to the throne with his heart and body intact. It is filled with violence and drama, but it is gripping nonetheless. 

Notes

Although this is a sequel to Burgess' Bloodtide (2001), it can easily stand alone. It has a strong narration, and although it can be somewhat dark at times, it is realistic enough that readers will find themselves wondering if a world such as this might be looming in the future as technology advances. Readers may also enjoy the links to Viking mythology. Because of the violence and graphic descriptions of war, only those capable of stomaching such material should venture into this novel, but any who do will be rewarded with a rich, engaging story. 

Author Information

Melvin Burgess' Website

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Pearson, Mary E. (2008). The Adoration of Jenna Fox. New York, New York: Henry Holt and Co. 

ISBN: 9780805076684

272 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Identity, High School, Relationships, Family, Future, Surgery

Reader's Annotation

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox wakes up from a year-long coma caused by a terrible accident unsure of who she is and who she used to be, and as she slowly gains her memoies back, she has more and more questions about who she was and what happened to her. 

Summary

Jenna Fox has been told that is her name. She has been told that she's seventeen years old and that she was in a coma for a year after a terrible accident. But in spite of the questions answered by her friends and family and the home movies she watches of herself before the accident, there are some lingering questions. Why are people treating her so strangely? What really happened on the night of the accident? Why do her arms and legs not feel, look, or move the way they used to? As she slowly starts to remember pieces of her life before the accident, she questions even these memories, and she wonders what she can trust, how she can know who she is and, most importantly- who is Jenna Fox? 

Notes

This has some similar themes to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy. Readers who enjoyed this book may want to look into the series. It is equally thought-provoking about what makes you who you are, and how identity is formed.

Awards

A Book Sense "Top Ten" Summer Pick

Other Information

Adoration of Jenna Fox Website

Author Information

Mary Pearson's Website

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Anderson, M.T. (2004). Feed. New York, New York: Candlewick Press. 

ISBN: 978073622596

320 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science-Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 4 stars

Subjects: Future, Dystopia, Brain-Washing, Family, Relationships

Reader's Annotation

In a bleak future, televisions and computers are connected directly to people's brains, creating a consumer-driven society where independent thought is frowned upon, and Titus never questions this world until he meets Violet, a home-schooled girl who dares to think for herself. 

Summary

Everything is just fine in Titus' world. He has an Internet/Television feed that connects directly to his brain and life is simple. It is a world of consumerism with the main priorities of fashion, immediate pleasures, and shopping. When Titus and his friends are on the moon, they catch an illness that freezes their feeds for a few days, and in the void, they actually think. It is there that Titus meets Violet, a home-schooled girl who has an opinion and thinks for herself. After their recovery, Violet and Titus begin dating but the fundamental differences between them and their world views drive them apart as the consumer-driven society pushes itself to the brink and Violet succumbs to an illness that leaves her incapacitatated. 

Notes

This is a great read for teens, especially older teens. It is a chilling novel that has taken threads of our current society and fleshed them out to show what the world would be like if these disturbing trends continued. Teens who read this may reconsider how connected their lives are and should be, and what repercussions that might have in the future. 

Awards

2002 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist

2003 Boston-Globe Horn Book Award for Fiction

2003 Golden Duck Awards Hal Clement Award for Young Adults

Other Information

Readers who enjoy the topic might want to explore Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy. 

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Pfeffer, Susan Beth (2007). Life as We Knew It. New York, New York: Harcourt Books. 

ISBN: 9780152061548

360 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Meteors, Future, Dystopia, Catastrophe, Family

Reader's Annotation

When an asteroid hits the moon and pushes it closer to Earth, the result is disastrous for everyone including 16-year-old Miranda and her family as they struggle to get by with little food, states closing borders, and a swiftly approaching winter that could prove fatal to those she loves. 

Summary

This story takes place in Pennsylvania and focuses on the story of 16-year-old Miranda before catastrophe strikes. She is a normal teen, concerned with school, friends, and boys, until reports of an asteroid striking the moon become more and more frequent. When this happens, the moon is pushed closer to Earth and there are tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions that kill  millions of people and destroy vast portions of Earth. In the United States, supermarkets run out of food, gas prices rise astronomically and limits are imposed, and states are closing their entrances. She, her family, and her friends struggle to cope with the new world they find themselves living in as they are now focused solely on survival through the winter. 

Notes

Throughout this story, the problems of being a teen are told, and this is the strength of the narrative. Even in the face of disaster, petty fights with her mother occur, and that realism seeps through this narrative, drawing the reader in deeper and deeper. 

Awards

2007 Best Books for Young Adults

Andre Norton Award Finalist

Quill Awards Finalist

Hal Clement Award Finalist

Other Information

Readers who enjoy this book should also look into Pfeffer's The Dead and the Gone, which follows the same premise as this book but shifts locations to New York City and follows 17-year-old Alex Morales. 

Author Information

Susan Beth Pfeffer's Website

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Pfeffer, Susan Beth (2008). The Dead and the Gone. New York, New York: Harcourt Books. 

ISBN: 9780152063110

336 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Dystopia, Future, Climate, Asteroid, Family, Relationships

Reader's Annotation

In New York City, Alex Morales struggles to keep his younger sisters alive and together after an asteroid crashed into the moon, creating disasters around the world that make the thought of any future survival difficult to believe. 

Summary

This is a companion novel to Pfeffer's Life as We Knew It (2007), and in this novel, we are transported to New York City to see the devastating effects the asteroid crashing into the moon has created. 17-year-old Alex Morales' parents both disappeared in the disasters that followed the crash, leaving him to protect his two younger sisters. As food gets scarce and people around them begin to get desperate, Alex wonders how he will be able to survive, let alone take care of his younger sisters as well. 

Notes

Although it takes place during an incredible disaster, the emphasis in this story is really on the people- in this case, Alex Morales and his love for his little sisters. The lengths he is willing to go to ensure that they will survive and stay together are heartwrenching. 

Author Information

Susan Beth Pfeffer's Website

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, Scott (2005). Peeps. New York, New York: Razorbill

ISBN: 9781595140838

336 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Vampires, Parasites, Future, Science Fiction

Reader's Annotation

19-year-old Cal moves to New York from Texas and when he loses his virginity, he acquires a disease that leaves him with night vision, superhuman strength, and a craving for lots of protein, and as he tracks down the woman who infected him, he suspects a greater danger may be lurking in the city. 

Summary

Cal moves from Texas to New York City, and on his first night in the big city, he contracts an STD that leaves him parasite-positive, or "peep". When presented in full form, peeps are cannibals that hide in darkness and prey upon unsuspecting victims. Cal, however, has a more controlled form of the illness that leaves him with great night vision, superhuman strength, and a craving for lots of protein. After contracting the disease, he joins an underground agency that seeks to track down others of his kind. The more he delves into the mystery, the more he unfolds as he realizes that there may be something even worse than peeps in the city. 

Notes

Fans of Westerfeld's Uglies Trilogy or even Meyer's Twilight Saga will enjoy this take on vampire fiction. It presents an interesting take on vampire legend and does quite a bit explaining how and why parasite-positives exist in society. The mix of medicine and mystery creates a thriller that teens will pick up and not want to put down. 

Author Information

Scott Westerfeld's Website

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, Scott (2005). Uglies. New York, New York: Simon Pulse. 

ISBN: 9780689865381

448 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Surgery, Popularity, Outcast, Future, Dystopia, Relationships

Reader's Annotation

In a futuristic society where, at the age of 16, everyone becomes a "Pretty", Tally Youngblood wants nothing more than to undergo surgery herself, until she meets Shay and a fringe society and explores the idea that she might be okay just the way she is. 

Summary

Tally Youngblood is like any other teenager- she is filled with doubts and insecurities about herself, and she is desperate to be beautiful- but in this society, that wish is granted to everyone at the age of 16. Her best friend and almost everyone she knows is already in Pretty Town, partying all day and having fun being beautiful, while she has been left behind in UglyTown to wait for her 16th birthday. Before that date, however, she meets Shay, a young girl who plans on running away and joining a fringe society that accepts individuals who don't want to undergo this transformation. As Tally is pulled into this idea, she is forced to examine society and the ideals she has been forced from birth to believe and she begins to question everything. 

Notes

Although there is a strong femal protagonist in this book, it is highly readable for guys or girls. The underlying commentary on our current society's values is intriguing because Westerfeld has taken it to the next level, where everyone is beautiful and happy. This asks the question: at what cost does this perfect society exist? 

Other Information

This is the first book in the Uglies Trilogy. Those interested in the fate of Tally Youngblood, Shay, and their friends, should check out Pretties, Specials, and Extras. 

Author Information

Scott Westerfeld's Website

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, Scott (2007). Specials. New York, New York: Simon Pulse. 

ISBN: 9781416947950

400 pages

Classification: Fiction

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 15-19

Stars: 5 stars

Subjects: Dystopia, Surgery, Relationships, Popularity, Future

Reader's Annotation

After being captured by her former friend, Tally Youngblood has been made into a "Special"- a pretty with incredible strength, intelligence, and reflexes- but with all of society being policed by the Specials, who will police them? 

Summary

Again, Tally Youngblood has been forced to turn against her former ideals. With a new surgery that has made her super-tough, super-strong, and super-cold, she has become what she formerly despised: a Special. She and the other special group of Specials, "Cutters", stay especially sharp and fearless by cutting themselves to focus and maintain clarity. They are seeking to find and destroy New Smoke, but in the process, they realize that, as before, there might be something terribly wrong with their world, and it is up to them to make it change. Tally stays a Special as long as she is sure Zane is safe, and ends up following him to New Smoke, but it is nothing like what they had thought, and this forces them all to realize that they must put an end to the Specials, once and for all. 

Notes

This is the gripping conclusion to the Uglies Trilogy that will have readers turning page after page, unable to put this fast-paced novel down. Tally must yet again face her past and try to forge a future in a world that doesn't seem to accept people for who they are. Now that she is one of the Specials, normal rules don't apply, and she is amazed to find out what she- and other Specials- are truly capable of. Readers who enjoy this book should explore Uglies, Pretties, and Extras, also by Scott Westerfeld. 

Author Information

Scott Westerfeld's Website