Duplicity

Duplicity 

by N. K. Traver

Synopsis:

In private, seventeen-year-old Brandon hacks bank accounts just for the thrill of it. In public, he looks like any other tattooed bad boy with a fast car and devil-may-care attitude. He should know: he's worked hard to maintain that façade. With inattentive parents who move constantly from city to city, he''s learned not to get tangled up in things like friends and relationships. So he'll just keep living like a machine, all gears and wires.

Then two things shatter his carefully-built image: Emma, the kind, stubborn girl who insists on looking beneath the surface - and the small matter of a mirror reflection that starts moving by itself. Not only does Brandon''s reflection have a mind of its own, but it seems to be grooming him for something--washing the dye from his hair, yanking out his piercings, swapping his black shirts for . pastels. Then it tells him: it thinks it can live his life better, and it's preparing to trade places.

And when it pulls Brandon through the looking-glass, not only will he need all his ill-gotten hacking skills to escape, but he''s going to have to face some hard truths about who he''s become. Otherwise he'll be stuck in a digital hell until he's old and gray, and Emma and his parents won''t even know he's gone.

My thoughts:

A mind-bending, original story that teens are going to love. Brandon is a high-school senior with a bad boy persona with a highly developed skill as a computer hacker. He spends his spare time hacking into secure accounts, stealing credit card numbers to fund his fetish for fast cars and tattoos. But one day, Brandon sees his reflection in a mirror doing things it’s not supposed to be doing. Little by little, his reflection—which he names “Obran” or Other Brandon—informs Brandon that he is getting ready to trade places with Brandon.  Brandon has been a bad boy and Obran is going to do better.  On the day Obran is successful Brandon wakes up in a prison cell-like room, where a computer voice informs him that he has been incarcerated for computer hacking, and must serve out a twenty-year sentence as part of something called Project Duplicity. In the meantime the duplicate Obran will be living Brandon’s life.  A computer entity named JENA now controls his every waking—and sleeping—moments, forcing him to work on computer codes. Brandon knows that Obran, his lookalike, has taken over his real life, and he’s desperate to get home.

Traver’s story, with its lightning-fast pace, richly imagined virtual world, and  mind-bending plot twists will keep readers glued to the page.

Things We Know By Heart

Things We Know By Heart

by Jessi Kirby

Plot: 

When Quinn Sullivan’s life gets turned upside down by the death of her boyfriend Trent, she is determined to find the recipients of Trent’s donated organs.  Many of the recipients replied to her letters, but the one she wants to find the most remains silent. The recipient of Trent’s heart. Quinn cannot take it anymore, so she takes matters into her own hands to find the beneficiary. When an unintentional encounter leads to something more, Quinn is torn.  She feels alive again around Colton, whose life has been changed completely by Trent’s death, but will the truth tear them apart or bring them even closer together?

My thoughts:

I was wandering through the library when the cover of this book caught my eye. I immediately felt sorry for the main character Quinn, I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to lose someone that close to you.  The story seemed like it would be the kind of book that would make me happy, so I picked it up and took it out.  As I kept reading, I got more into the book and I could not put it down. I felt like I was Quinn, as if all this was happening to me. I felt every emotion she felt.  This book reminded me a lot of the movie The Fault in Our Stars at some points, the main character Quinn is a lot like the main character in the movie, Hazel. They both go through a lot in their lives, and find ways to overcome these obstacles.  All the characters in this book are fairly well rounded, although we do not learn much about the other characters besides Quinn, Trent and Colton.  

I highly recommend this book, and I think it would make a great movie as well! Anyone who enjoys romance novels with a happy twist will like this book written by Jessi Kirby.

Reviewed by A.S., Grade 10 Scona student

Sick

Sick

by Tom Leveen

Plot:

The story takes place in a small town that is overrun with a disease that make the infected hostile against those that are not. When things go bad at the town’s fenced in high school and the protagonist Brian gets trapped in the drama room he realizes that he has to save his sister and ex girlfriend from the infected students before they get them.

My thoughts:

While the book has all the things a zombie book should have, namely suspense, horror, and gore, it does not do too much to expand on it. While the author does make it so that the infected are not undead but sick with a disease, this makes it difficult morally for the survivors to kill them even when they directly threaten their lives and they have seen what they do to people they catch, the suspense and horror go away towards the middle of the book, even the gore starts to go away, though it comes back every once and a while. I liked the characters though sometimes you just wonder why they say or do some things and the setting was quite interesting. You can feel bad for the characters and understand their fears and worries but the protagonist Brian and his friend Chad can do or say things that don’t make much sense.

I recommend this book as it is still a good read and you may enjoy it more than I did though I don’t recommend it for those that can’t take very descriptive gore in books. For its few flaws I can still recommend Sick by Tom Leveen to lovers of zombie horror stories.

reviewed by A.K., Grade 10 Scona student

The Calling

The Calling (Endgame #1)

by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton  

Plot:  

Imagine that you could be called upon to fight for you and your family line at any moment, but you didn’t know when. That your whole life you were trained to kill with flawless efficiency, and dispatch your enemies with ease. That there were eleven others just like you with different skills, mindsets and personalities. This is no ordinary competition. This is Endgame. Conditions, the players must be between the ages of 13 and 20 to play. To win, the players must collect three keys hidden around Earth. The rules, none. The winner spares his or hers family line from extinction. The losers die. Who will win? Will strength beat intelligence? Ruthlessness over kindness? Strong over weak? There can only be one. This is Endgame.     

My Thoughts:   

I got this book on my 16th birthday, which wasn’t long ago (March 26th) and I really liked this book. After reading the back of the book I thought it was gonna be another Hunger Games type of book, but after reading the first few chapters I was instantly drawn to it. The introduction and backstory of the characters was short yet informative, giving me ideas of what type of person he or she was. As you read on you get an idea of everyone’s perspective on the Endgame which really intrigued me to keep on reading. As I mentioned earlier this book reminded me of the Hunger Games novel but with a cool, sci-fi twist with it which I think makes it more appealing. Some of the character are really well rounded but I would of liked to know more of some the other characters backstory or history.    

I would recommend this book to people who like action, suspense, and some parts of romance. the second book to this series, Sky Key (Endgame #2) is out if you want to continue with the story I suggest you pick it up when you have the chance. But the first book, The Calling by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton, is definitely worth the read.

Reviewed by B.C., Grade 10 Scona student

The Naturals

The Naturals

by Michael Buckley

Plot: 

17 year old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Pulling details from all directions, solving puzzles, she can tell who you are and what you are up to.  She has never officially acknowledged her talent, that is, until the FBI show up at her doorstep. In seek of teenagers to make up a program that uses them to break cases, they need Cassie. When Cassie arrives everything is not as it seems, she realizes more is at stake than she ever thought. Living with people with talents just as unusual as hers, and that can lead to consequences. A new killer comes about and all the naturals have to bond together and combine their strengths in order to remain alive.

My thoughts:

Right from the book talk this book was one that caught my attention. And I must say, it did not fail to impress. I love the show criminal minds and this is much like it. Unsolved mysteries in every direction and each page left you hanging. The author did a great job of creating images which allowed you to engage yourself in the book on a level that kept you reading. I believe this book is a hit or miss because either you like it and understand it from the start, but if not it would be pointless to read on. There was rarely any parts that i did not enjoy each section led to a different unsolved problem/ mystery. I would highly recommend this book to all the criminal minds lovers.

reviewed by B.S., Grade 10 Scona student

An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth 

by Chris Hadfield

Plot:

Chris Hadfield tells his life story about how he overcame all odds to become commander of the International Space Station. This book tells you how prepare for and pursue your own personal dreams and goals. Chris Hadfield teaches us that preparation, humor and learning from mistakes can propel us forward in life. In the book he goes through his life and how he had many medical conditions that could have prevented him from becoming the commander of the International Space Station but he never gave up and never giving up is the only reason he is where he is today. In the book he tells a story of when he and his wife went to an Elton John concert. A local radio station was trying to get Elton John to call Hadfield up on stage to play a song with him.  Hadfield decided that if he got this chance, the song would be Rocket Man, so for weeks he practiced playing Rocket Man on his guitar just in case Elton John called him up on stage. This ties into a recurring theme of preparing for things even if they might not happen but just knowing that you're ready in case it does. At the start of the book he talks about his childhood and how he was always fascinated by space and how he always had the dream of becoming the commander of the International Space Station and how he wanted people to know who he was.

Thoughts:

My thoughts on this book where that it was very interesting and that I learned a lot about space travel and what goes into becoming an astronaut. This book was filled with facts that kept me reading and also there were many life lessons that he had learned through his life that I can use in my life to become successful.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about what goes on behind the scenes at NASA and what is done to become the commander of the International Space Station. This book would also be good for anyone who likes a quick biography that keeps you interested the whole way through.

reviewed by L.P., Grade 10 Scona student

It's Kind Of A Funny Story

It's Kind Of A Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

Plot:

When 15-year-old high school freshmen Craig Gilner attends a Pre-Professional High School, an overwhelming wave of tasks takes over. The pressure becomes unbearable. He only finds peace in being lazy and using drugs. Craig eventually winds up in the hospital when he has a suicidal episode, where he makes a couple of friends who have struggled with life just as much as himself.

My thoughts:

Personally, I found the book to be quite satisfying! In the beginning I could feel how emotionally deprived Craig was and all the pressure he was going through with school. Gradually, Craig gained happiness and self worth. Developed relationships with others that he valued. He was flourishing as a person before our eyes! The characters are well done but I had difficulty remembering which old lady was which...otherwise great job! Craig’s strange perspective on life is really interesting, its really what got me liking his character (as well as his love for drawing). I would recommend this to someone who is a teenager or someone with a sense of humor. This novel is all about Craig and how he overcomes depression and discovers what he really wants in life. Isn’t that all teenagers? 

reviewed by T.G., Grade 10 Scona student