Unwind

Unwind

By Neal Shusterman

Synopsis:

In America after the Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement: The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, a parent may choose to retroactively get rid of a child through a process called "unwinding." Unwinding ensures that the child''s life doesn't "technically" end by transplanting all the organs in the child''s body to various recipients. Now a common and accepted practice in society, troublesome or unwanted teens are able to easily be unwound.

With breath-taking suspense, this book follows three teens who all become runaway Unwinds: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents'' tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. As their paths intersect and lives hang in the balance, Shusterman examines serious moral issues in a way that will keep readers turning the pages to see if Connor, Risa, and Lev avoid meeting their untimely ends.

My thoughts:

"What if your parents could unwind you?" with that one question I was hooked.   I was intrigued by the idea of this book and figured I'd give it a shot and all I can say is "wow".  I now know why Neal Shusterman has such a huge fan base; he is brilliant! I have since read a few other books by him and loved them all but Unwind will always be by far my favorite. The world Shusterman has created is a disturbing one where abortion has been made illegal but it is completely acceptable "to retroactively "abort " a child between the ages of 13 and 18 on the condition that the child's life doesn't "technically" end". Connor is a troubled teen whose parents decide to unwind him rather than deal with him but before the Juvie cops can collect him Connor runs away.  Risa is a state ward and according to the state her body parts and organs are more important than she is as a whole.  Lev is a tithe, told since birth that it is his privilege and religious duty to be unwound at the age of thirteen.  Due to chance happenings Connor, Risa, and Lev's paths cross and lives are forever changed. I liked how events unfolded and seeing how they affected and changed the characters especially Lev; the character development was never rushed or over the top and always believable. This book is fast paced with so many twists that you will be glued to this book.  However it does contain one of the most disturbing scenes I have ever read not because it was graphic or even remotely violent, more because the event taking place is left almost completely to the reader's imagination.  This story is amazing but also disturbing and rather sad.  With this book Shusterman questions abortion, organ donation, parental control and responsibilty, the power of propaganda and so much more.

Between The Lines

Between The Lines

by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Synopsis:

What happens when happily ever after…isn't?

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book-one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He's a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He's sure there's more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

My thoughts:

After reading the summary of this book I felt I just had to read it.  It was a book about a book!  The premise of this book reminded me of being little and thinking that toys come to live when you leave the room. To me this book was a more grown up version of that toy idea. It was a good book and I really liked it but Between The Lines is without a doubt at it's heart a fairy tale.  This story is about princes, love, dragons, friends and overcoming impossible odds to get your happily-ever-after.  Delilah is a loner, socially awkward, and prefers losing herself in a good book.  This takes on a whole new meaning when one of the characters - the charming Prince Oliver -  from her beloved children's book starts talking to her! Suddenly Delilah has someone who she can really talk to and Oliver might have a way out of his story. This book is told from three different perspectives.  We have Delilah,  we have Oliver and then we also have Oliver's fairy tale which I think makes this book rather unique.  I liked getting to know Delilah and Oliver separately.  Delilah is in the 'real world' and dealing with everyday teen issues.  Oliver, however, has only ever know his book world and I found it fascinating to see how all the characters are so very different and have their own personalities. They aren't just what the author wrote them to be; they have their own hopes and fears.  I loved this book but that is probably because I loved fairy tales growing up.  This book is a nice light read and I would recommend it to anyone who still has that little kid in them that wants that warm glow that you get when you hear about a happily-ever-after.

You Against Me

You Against Me

by Jenny Downham

Synopsis:

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.

My thoughts:

I'm not really sure where to start with this book.  I thought it would be amazing; a book that made you think about family, love, loyalty, and how far you would go to protect them.  Downham's You Against Me does make you think about all those things but not to the depth that I would have expected.  I felt that while the author did explore the characters it was not a smooth development but rather it seemed sudden and abrupt. It also seemed to me that the relationship between Mikey and Ellie moved at a surprising pace,  I would think it would have taken longer and that there would have been a lot more anger to deal with.  What I did like is that this book isn't about the victim; in fact Karen doesn't get a lot of page time.  This book is about what happens to everyone else in the family after such a devastating act and that is a side that you rarely get to see. I did liked that this book check you questioning who was telling the truth and who was lying.  I liked that you don't find out the truth till the very end; it really helped to build the tension but honestly it doesn't matter what the truth is because the damage  has already been done to both sides. Overall You Against Me was okay but once finished I didn't think about it again and given the difficult subject material that is dealt with in this book  I felt that it should have stayed with me long after the last page.

This Dark Endeavour

This Dark Endeavor

by Kenneth Oppel

Synopsis:

Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother Konrad and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend, Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.

The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages, and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library again, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.

The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love – and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

My Thoughts:

I have read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein but it's been a few years and the details are sort of fuzzy.  This book made me want go back and reread Shelley's novel.  For those that now the story of Frankenstein have you ever wonder what happened to make Victor Frankenstein a man that would dare to try to create life?  Oppel has written a masterpiece that could easy explain what happen to Victor to make him into the mad scientist that we know from Shelley's classic. In Shelley's Frankenstein Victor has two little brothers, Elizabeth (a cousin) and a friend named Henry;  Oppel has added one more character to the family Victor's twin Konrad.  Konrad and Victor are inseparable but very different in personality.  Konrad is charming, brilliant, practically perfect and Victor is  . . . well not; he tries to be good but he can never seem to measure up to Konrad.  When Konrad falls ill and medicine and science seem to be failing him, Victor takes it upon himself to look for a cure. Having found a library of dark arts (mainly alchemy) hidden in the castle Victor decides that the only way to save Konrad is with the Elixir of Life and with the help of Elizabeth and Henry starts to collect the necessary ingredients.  Making the elixir is a dangerous quest and Victor is pulled deeper into the dark arts.  I loved how Oppel wrote the characters especially Victor because you know how Victor is going to turn out and so his descent into darkness needs to be believable. You see Victor as just a desperate teen trying to save his brother but at the same time he is desperate for the attention ad praise (and maybe even Elizabeth's hand) that could be earned from saving Konrad.  It is so very easy to like Victor even as his ambition takes over and he becomes more aggressive and twisted in his quest; you still want him to succeed even though you know where that success will lead him.

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

By Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Synopsis:

 Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she''s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town''s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Movie to be released February 14, 2013.

My thoughts:

I am one of those people that likes to read the book before the movie but that doesn't always work for me. Usually I find out a movie already came out and the book is buried somewhere in my to-do-read pile or I watch the movie and find out in the credits at the end that it was based on a novel  I had been considering this book for a while then I heard that it was being made into a movie and that decided it: I needed to read this book immediately. And am very happy I did because I liked it and I know the movie will be great but not as good as the book.  So the only thing I knew when picking up this book was it was about witches (after reading the book I learned they prefer casters) and I thought it was going to be about a girl.  Well I was sort of right; it is about witches (sorry casters) and there is a girl, Lena, but there is also a boy and the story is told from Ethan's point of view which I was not expecting one little bit and it kind of through me for a loop for a bit at the start.   Ethan lives in the southern town of Gatlin where nothing ever happens, everyone knows everyone, and where secrets aren't safe; he can't wait to get out and is just counting down the days till he can leave.  Everything changes though when Lena moves into town.  Lena is like no one Ethan or even the town for that matter has ever met and to top it off she is Old Man Ravenwood's niece and living in the oldest and most infamous plantation in Gatlin.  Lena tries to keep her distance from Ethan but he is persistent and slowly Lena starts to let him in and tell him the truth about her and her family. Lena is a caster and on her 16th birthday the light or the dark will choose her and she will have no say in the decision but something is happening to Lena and no one is telling her or Ethan anything.  So Ethan and Lena go looking for their own answers and discover a few secrets along the way.  As much as I liked this book there were a few problems.  I think my biggest problem was having Ethan as a narrator because at times it was hard to believe that the narrator was a guy. Also I did get rather frustrated with the plot and characters at how obviously secretive they were and it usually didn't seem like it was for any good reason. That being said I really did like this book.  It was a nice easy read and at times truly hilarious (Ethan's aunts are fantastic and I hope they are in every single book).  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

The Storyteller

The Storyteller

by Antonia Michaelis

Synopsis:

Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?

Award-winning author Antonia Michaelis moves in a bold new direction with her latest novel: a dark, haunting, contemporary story that is part mystery, part romance, and part melodrama.

My thoughts:

I picked up this book because I had previously read Michaelis' Tiger Moon and fell in love with her writing style and storytelling abilities.  So of course when I saw this book I had to try it.  Once again I was simply blown away by the story and the beautiful writing.  Michaelis is a master at keeping the reader guessing.  For the entire book I never knew what to expect next or I would think that I had it all figured out and then my opinions and everything I knew about the characters (or thought I knew) would be turned upside down on me.  I know that sounds frustrating but it never was it just pulled me deeper into the story.  From the very start of the book you know it is going to be a dark tale and as you start reading and getting to know the characters the suspense from the beginning of the book is always there in the back of your mind and you just pray everyone will come through all right.  Anna is a girl who has everything but feels trapped by her inexperience.  Abel is a mystery to pretty much everyone and wants to keep it that way.  When Anna finds a doll in the student center Abel claims it as his and just like that Anna is hooked.  She decides to follow Abel and see what she can find out.  What she finds is not at all what she expected; Abel has a little sister that he is taking care of all by himself.  Anna's curiosity won't let her turn away and she follows the two of them to a cafe where she eavesdrops on Abel as he starts to tell Micha (his little sister) the story of the cliff queen.  Abel is very protective of his sister but Anna is persistent   She gradually becomes involved in their lives - in Abel's attempt to keep his sister with him even though he is a minor and in Micha's questions about their missing mother.  Anna wants to help even as Abel tries to push her away but  she is slowly becoming a main character in the cliff queen's fairy tale.  This book haunted me and I found myself, after having finished it, having trouble sleeping because I couldn't get it out of my head.   I can't say it enough I loved this book but be warned it is dark and you shouldn't expect a happy ending.

Henry VIII Wolfman

Henry VIII Wolfman

by A. E. Moorat

Synopsis:

HENRY VIII: WOLFMAN. DIVORCED. BEHEADED. DIED. MAULED. SAVAGED. SURVIVED. Henry VIII was the best and bloodiest King ever to have sat on the throne of England. This fast-paced, exciting, gory, inventive and just plain gross retelling of his reign will bring to light the real man behind the myth. When it came to his size, Henry VIII was known for being larger-than-life, with a fearsome temper and bloodthirsty reputation to match; more beast than human, some might say... Be dragged kicking and screaming back 500 years into Tudor England.

  

My thoughts: 

First thing I will say is this is not my usual type of book but lately I have found myself eyeing all those classic mash-ups like “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, “Little Women and the Werewolves”, “Withering Bites”, and so on.  Henry VIII Wolfman is my first mash-up experience and while I can't say that I loved it; I definitely didn't hate it either.  In Moorat’s Tudor England demons are real but a treaty has been signed between them and the humans.  The Arcadians (werewolves) are about to destroy the peace that the treaty offers as they are not satisfied with their lot in life (being the lowest ranking demons and resent by everyone on both sides) and decided to do something about it.  Unfortunately this involves eating Henry’s much longed for baby son and then proceeding to bite Henry himself.  Finding himself turning into a werewolf however doesn't really seem to concern Henry too much especially when he discovers how very taste human flesh can be.  In the meantime members of the Protektorate (including one Jane Seymour), Sir Thomas More, and Cardinal Wolsey are trying to stop the werewolves from building an army to overthrow Henry and take England for themselves. For the most part I found that the story moved very fast but there were two or three parts that slowed right down and I had to push myself through them.  If you are looking for a serious read this is not the book; this story is silly almost bordering on downright ridiculous at times.  Some of the characters (Wolsey in particular) use some very colorful language and employs some interesting problem solving ideas causing some a couple good laughing fits from me.  I think the main reason I didn't enjoy this book more was the violence that was quite graphic in detail.  There is a decent amount of blood and gore to be found in this book to keep horror fans entertained but for me it was a bit much to process and I wouldn't recommend it to someone who wasn't a huge fan.