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Divergent is the story of Beatrice Prior, a sixteen year old teenage girl living in a futuristic Chicago. Roth's dystopian vision features an even more polarized society than we are living in now (hard to imagine, I know), which has resulted in the creation of five factions, each centered around one particular virtue: Candor which focuses on strict honesty, Abnegation which is selfless at all costs, Dauntless the always brave, Amity the peaceful, and the Erudite who value education and intelligence above all else.

Annually, a ceremony is held in which all sixteen year olds must choose the faction to which they will dedicate their lives. After their choice, they are forced to undergo an initiation, which if they fail leaves them as cast offs of society. Beatrice, our plucky yet conflicted heroin, has been raised with the teachings of her abnegation family, but feels herself not truly selfless enough to remain in the faction of her birth for the rest of her life. I won't tell you what choice she makes, but honestly, I think you'll be able to guess within the first few pages. The remainder of the novel follows Beatrice, now known as Tris, as she struggles to survive initiation and become a member of her chosen faction.

Divergent is a fun and fast read. I did find the concept of the five factions a bit hard to swallow, which I think made it hard for me to get really invested in this read. However, if I am honest the most challenging aspect of this book for me was that it wasn't the Hunger Games, which is what I was really yearning for. Still, I am excited that Divergent is only the first on a planned trilogy, and I am planning on continuing on with Tris in the next installment. Is it wrong for me to hope that Veronica Roth spends some serious time with Susan Collins while writing the sequels?

Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Young Adult

Reading Format: Audiobook read by Luke Daniels

Reading Challenges: 5 for 100+ in 2010, 1 of 20 for the Twenty in Ten Reading Challenge

It's been a few weeks since I finished this book, but I just can't stop thinking about it. This is a book that forces you to think hard about some serious issues, yet it is also pretty much a non-stop thrill ride.

Unwind takes place in a future which has been shaped by a single issue, abortion. America has experienced a second civil war, known as the Heartland War. To end the war, a compromise was reached that ended all abortion. Instead, parents now have the right to elect to "unwind" their children, anytime between the ages of 13 and 18. In the unwinding process, virtually 100% of the child's body parts are harvested for future use. This harvesting of young bodies has virtually erased disease. There is now really no need for scientists to pursue cures to disease as there are plenty of donors available. Unwinding is considered an acceptable practice, and is not viewed by this future society as death, but instead as a transition to another type of existence.

In the novel, the lives of three teenagers on their way to harvest camps intersect, and suddenly they have a chance for survival. If Connor, Risa, and Lev can avoid the authorities until they turn 18, they will be safe, as the law prohibits unwinding after the age of 18. But surviving that long seems more unlikely every day.

What I found especially interesting about this novel, is that Shusterman really doesn't seem to be pleading for either side of the abortion debate. He leaves it to the reader to draw their own conclusions. I have my own firm convictions about abortion, so this book didn't change my viewpoint, but it did give me a better perspective on some of the complexities surrounding the issue. I found the book to be exceedingly well-written, and the characters to be nicely complex. This is a book that will get you both thinking and turning pages quickly.

Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Young Adult

Reading Format: Audiobook narrated by Carolyn McCormick

Reading Challenges: 3 for 100+ in 2010

I could write a one word review for this book: Amazing. It might seem strange for me to be saying this the first week of January, but I can already tell the this will be one of the best books I will read this year, and I'm adding it to my list of favorites. Someone asked me a while ago why I read Young Adult novels. The answer is that there are books out there like this one. If all you know of the Young Adult genre is the Twilight novels, then you haven't even scratched the surface.

The Hunger Games takes place in an unpleasant and somewhat bleak future. The country of Panem is situated in North America, and consists of a decadent capitol surrounded by twelve poorer districts that are strictly controlled by the government. At one point, there was an uprising against the government which was put down, and in retaliation the government instituted the Hunger Games. Each year a boy and girl between the ages of 12 and 18 are chosen by lottery from each district. These "tributes," as they are called, are transported to the capitol and placed into a massive arena that is controlled by the game makers. Once in this arena, the tributes must fight to the death, until one remains. The Hunger Games are nationally televised, and the entire populace of each district is forced to observe the life and death struggle of these children for the entertainment of the degenerate capitol citizens. The lottery is stacked against the children of the poorer districts, as they are often forced to trade additional entries into the lottery for food and supplies.

Katniss, the main character, is a 16 year old girl who lives in district twelve. From the age of 11, after the death of her father, she has provided for her mother and younger sister, Prim. Against all odds, 12 year old Prim is selected to enter the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers to take her place. Katniss soon finds herself transported to the capitol, in the company of Peeta, a boy whom she only vaguely knows but to whom she feels she owes a debt. She knows that the only way she can keep her promise to return to Prim is to kill without mercy or hesitation. Now if she can only forget that she is now hunting people instead of the rabbits and squirrels that have sustained her and her family for so long.

This book literally grabbed me from the first few lines. I devoured it. In fact, enjoyed it so much that even after listening to the audio book I purchased a copy for my permanent library. The action is almost continual, but there is also plenty to ponder in this novel. I can't recommend it highly enough. I only suggest that you have the second book handy when you finish! I don't know how I am going to wait until book 3 comes out.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, London

Ironhand is the second novel in Charlie Fletcher's fantastic trilogy, which began with Stoneheart. I've found myself reading more "young adult" novels recently. Surprisingly, many of these novels don't feel like they are lacking in comparison to adult novels in either pacing or plot. If they are missing a bit of the gratuitous sex, graphically detailed scenes of violence, and over the top profanity, I find it to be a welcome change. Ironhand is a furiously fast-paced adventure, with a maturity and depth that qualifies it to be enjoyed by readers both relatively young (I'd recommend at least 11 or 12 to be on the safe side) and old.

Ironhand begins almost immediately where Stoneheart left off. In a few short pages, George and Edie find that their situation has gone from bad to worse. George discovers that "the hard way," is exactly that. He must fight three duels, and running isn't an option as three corresponding stone slivers are slowly making their way from his hand to pierce his heart if he doesn't face the danger within the required time. Edie also finds herself fighting for her life, as she has captured the interest of the Walker, who wishes to make use of her skills of a glint and then dispose of her. Perhaps worst of all, the Gunner, who has served as George and Edie's self-appointed protector, has been taken by the Walker and imprisoned in a place form which their seems to be no escape. This is especially unfortunate as he will no longer be a living statue if he fails to return to his plinth before the turn of the day, and will become only a hunk of lifeless metal.

I had every intention of pacing myself through this read, but after a few pages I was hooked and rushed frantically to the end. The novel ends on a cliffhanger, so be sure to have Silvertongue, the third and final novel of the trilogy close by. I didn't, so I had to endure a few torturous weeks on the library hold list (it IS a recession, I can't buy all the books I want to read!). Fletcher is a great writer, and he proves it by avoiding the second book slump that so many writers of trilogies sometimes face. If anything, I enjoyed this book even more than the first in the series. I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Reading Challenges: 33 for 100+ in 2009

I first became interested in Graceling after reading a review at The Book Nest. I'm glad I followed her recommendation, because pretty much from the first page I was hooked. This is the perfect summer read for either laying by the pool or relaxing beneath a shady tree.

Our heroine, Katsa, is blessed, or cursed at times in her opinion, with a grace. In Katsa's world, a grace is a sort of innate ability that certain people are born with. Graces can be as simple as being able to play the flute really well, or as powerful as being able to read minds. Katsa's grace just happens to be killing, and as such, is exploited by her Uncle, the king, to preserve his own power and ensure that his demands are met. Katsa's role as royal enforcer often leaves her troubled, and somewhat afraid of her own powers. Deep down, Katsa is also lonely, although she doesn't realize it. That is, until she meets Po, a prince with a powerful fighting grace that seems to rival her own. As Katsa learns more about Po, and his mysterious grace, she also learns more about herself and finds the freedom to choose her own path.

This book was pure fun. The story had plenty of action, beginning even from the first page, and I found Katsa to be a complex but likeable character. The romance was sweet, without being overly sappy, although I did find Katsa's negative views of marriage as somewhat puzzling. This may sound strange, but I also really enjoyed the antagonist in the novel. We don't actually see much of his character, but his grace was just so sneaky! Cashore kept me guessing to the end as to how or if he would be ultimately defeated. I am glad that I gave this book a try and I plan on reading Fire, Cashore's soon to be released second novel.

Genre: Coming of Age, Castaways, Young Adult

Reading Challenges: 32 for 100+ in 2009

Terry Prachett is a literary genius. I honestly believe this, and I'm continually recommending his books to anyone who will listen. Often, when someone resists giving Prachett a try, they tell me that it is because they aren't into fantasy and the whole notion of Discworld just sounds silly. Nation, a stand alone non-Discworld novel voids all of those arguments, and is a brilliant book to boot.

The story is set in a sort of parallel universe, during a time much like the Victorian era, and mostly takes place on an island much like those in the pacific. Mau, a young island boy, is returning from the solo journey that will make him a man in the eyes of his fellow islanders. Ermintrude, the daughter of a British aristocrat, is sailing in the company of strangers to meet her father, the governor of a neighboring island. Without warning, a killer wave decimates Mau's island, destroys Ermintrude's ship, and brings the two of them together on what remains of Mau's small island. Together, Mau and Daphne, as she is now known, struggle to understand each other and their respective customs, and to meet the needs of the steady stream of survivors looking to them for answers.

This is a departure in some ways from Terry's previous books. I found it less humorous (although there is still plenty of Pratchett's signature wit), and more emotionally engaging. This is something I have also noticed in the latest Discworld novels, but it is especially evident here. The initial scenes, specifically those in which Mau returns to his island and finds his family and friends dead, are heartbreaking. As always with Terry's writings, this novel gives plenty of opportunities for pondering a few deeper thoughts that sneak in as you are simply enjoying the story. One of the more powerful themes revolves around the power of belief and tradition, and the impact on a society and an individual when those trusted beliefs are challenged by a monumental tragedy.

Nation is simply a powerful and pretty much perfect novel, written by a gifted author. If you have never read anything by Pratchett, let me recommend this book. I also highly recommend the audio book, read by Stephen Briggs. Briggs does a fabulous job of bringing the characters to life.

Finally, here is a little more about Nation from Terry himself:

Genre: World War 2, Young Adult, Germany

Reading Challenges: 23 for 100+ in 2009, 3/5 for War Through The Generations

In my family, I'm famous for reading the spoilers for movies and even occasionally some books . In a moment of suspense at whatever movie we might be attending, my husband can always turn to me when the tension gets to be just too much and ask me how things are going to turn out because he knows that I've read the spoiler. Why would I do this you might ask? To protect myself from caring too much. My theory has always been that if I know things are going to turn out badly I won't get too attached to the characters.

Imagine my surprise when The Book Thief destroyed all of my carefully laid plans. Since the book, which takes place in Nazi Germany, is narrated by Death it isn't giving away too much to say that I knew things couldn't possibly turn out happily for Liesel Meminger, the book thief. Death himself even gives us very broad and specific hints at what lies in store for Liesel, and those she cares about throughout the book. Despite all this, I fell hard for almost each and every character in this book. I actually found myself wiping away a few tears as I finished the last few pages. I've been reading a lot of great books lately, but this one really stands out as an amazing read.

The story is that of Liesel Meminger, a young German girl who we meet just prior to the rise of power of the Nazi party. Liesel is sent to live with some foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who live on Himmel street, just outside of Munich. Liesel has lost everything; and is haunted especially by the death of her brother which she witnessed. Somehow, she finds comfort in words and books, despite her inability to read. Hans, her amazing foster father, teaches her to read. This love of books, especially stolen ones, becomes Liesel's salvation, and her means of survival as her nation goes up in flames.

I honestly can't say too many wonderful things about this book. I honestly loved everything about it. The characters are so wonderful, so amazing, so imperfectly human, and the story will inspire you and break your heart all at the same time.

Genre:  Young Adult, Fiction, Coming of Age, Suspense, Noir

Reading Challenges:  13 for 100+ in 2009

What I Saw and How I Lied is several things at once: a coming of age story, a novel of suspense, and a book which captures the moral ambiguity and sexual tension of noir. The novel takes place shortly after the end of World War Two.  The story is narrated by Evelyn Spooner, the fifteen year old heroine, who shares with us the details of her family vacation to Palm Beach Florida in the company of her mother, Beverly, and her stepfather, Joe.  The Spooner family arrives in Palm Beach during the off season, only to find that their opportunities for entertainment are somewhat limited.  Shortly after arriving, they meet up with a man named Paul, who served with Joe in the military. Evelyn, or Evie as she calls herself, is suffering some serious growing pains and soon finds herself falling head over heels for Peter.  Before we reach the end of the novel, Evie's wold will have been turned upside down as she learns some hard lessons and lives through some harrowing experiences.  Most of all, she will come to know truths about those whom she has always trusted to know best, her parents, that will change everything.

This was an enjoyable read.  The author writes in such a way that we, the reader, can guess long before Evie what is really going on.  The author also did a good job of raising some moral issues.  I read in some other reviews that this was a difficult read for some as they felt that none of the characters were particularly virtuous.  This didn't bother me in the sense that I am familiar with the noir genre, and so I was expecting a resolution that didn't exactly wrap up all the ends neatly.  I also felt that although I wouldn't have made some of the choices that Evie did, that I understood why she chose to do what she did.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy film noir, and coming of age stories as I thought it was a well written and satisfying read.    

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Genre:  Young Adult, Fables

Reading Challenges:  12 for 100+ in 2009

After finishing this little book (it is a very quick read, only about 40 pages), I found myself feeling somewhat dissatisfied.  The book tells the story of a family; a fisherman, his wife, and their two small children, a boy and a girl.  The children of the fisherman love to watch their father fish, and the little boy especially longs to catch the beautiful fish that his father seems to capture with ease.  The father sternly reproves his son for trying to cast in his line by himself, an action which almost causes the son to fall into the swift current of the river.  The father's stern words and gruff nature cause problems between himself and his son, and eventually lead the boy to answer the call of the lake and find himself a prisoner of a great glass fish.

There were several passages of downright beautiful writing in this book.  I loved how the author described the boys eyes as, "full of leaping fish and rainbows."  In some ways, I do appreciate the message that the author was trying to get across, that we must allow our children to experience things and we can't shelter them from life because we are afraid for them.  However, in this case, I felt that this fable was fundamentally flawed.  I am currently in the process of raising a toddler.  While I do try to let my child have many varied experiences, and to maintain my patience, there are times when I do raise my voice and sternly discipline her for her own safety.  I was troubled that the fisherman was portrayed as somehow an unkind parent because he was angry at his son for not taking the dangers of the river seriously.  I found myself agreeing with the fisherman when he told his wife that, "discipline is love."  I was also bothered that the fisherman's wife seemed to blame him entirely for everything that had happened, and that she was untroubled about the disobedience of her son.

In conclusion, I do feel that this author has some talent, and I would be interested to read what he writes in the future.  I cannot however recommend this book as I don't agree with the moral of the story. 

This was not my first Garth Nix novel.  I whole-heartedly enjoyed the Abhorsen Trilogy.  So I was very intrigued when this book came to my attention.  I immediately checked it out from the library and gave it a whirl.  After a complete reading, I have decided that this series isn't for me.  To provide another viewpoint, I am posting a link to the review that got me interested in the book in the first place, here.

Mister Monday (the first in the Keys to the Kingdom series) is the story of Arthur Penhaligon, a serious asthmatic, and the adopted son of a brilliant medical researcher and musician.  Arthur is thrust into adventure, rather unwillingly, when he suffers what should be a fatal asthma attack but is saved by the appearance of a mysterious key which is literally thrust into his hands.  I don't want to give too much of the plot away, so all I will say is that this key is related to the original forces which created the world.  These forces have been twisted and are currently being used for no good by those very beings who were put in place to protect them.

Mister Monday is very fast moving.  There are plenty of great moments in this book, and it really never lags.  After I finished reading, it was hard for me to put my finger on what I didn't like about the book.  After two days, I'm still unable to provide a concrete reason, except to say that I found the premise a little difficult to follow.  It is difficult to talk too much about the parts of the book I found somewhat confusing without giving plot details away, so I will refrain.  Basically, I felt that Nix tried to paint a grand canvas with this story, but it came out a bit jumbled.  All I can say is, give this book a whirl and see if you like it any better.  I have a feeling I am in the minority after reading other reviews.

One caveat, I would not recommend this book to those who are offended by novels which have plot lines involving the creation that may differ from a Christian perspective, such as the His Dark Materials series (which I enjoyed very much).  I will definitely continue to look for new novels by Nix, but I won't be continuing on with the Keys of the Kingdom.

Genre:  YA, Fairy Tale Retelling