Space Opera Pick: Pitch Dark

Pitch Dark
by Courtney Alameda
Feiwel and Friends
2018
384  pages
ISBN: 97812500085894

Pitch Dark is one of the best books of the year. A science fiction horror story that is chock full of gore, action and moxie. Tuck and his family jettisoned from Earth on the John Muir, a spacecraft. He wakes up from stasis  four hundred years later, and finds himself alone (?)  on the ship. Alone, except for the monsters who used to be human and a few other humans. Most of the crew died, but those who didn't mutated into fast and furious beasts capable of killing with just their voice. Tuck learns to kill them, but must always be wary of attack. An engineer, Tuck keeps the ship running with the hope of someday someone will rescue them.

Laura Cruz is on the Conquistador with archeologists and scientists from post apocalyptic Earth. She's  a teen hacker who sabotages her own ship's mainframe in order to remove a chip that controls her. Another hacker with evil intent is  on board. The Conquistador finds damaged spaceship John Muir and attempts to come alongside it to see if  anyone survived or if it contains any artifacts they need in order to save Earth.

Laura is horrified when her ship collides with the derelict wreck of John Muir. Her mother and family escape the Conquistador in a smaller ship leaving a trail of clues for her to follow. Laura boards the John Muir and meets Tuck. The two of them must  survive the monsters, keep the John Muir intact  and pray for discovery before their supplies run out or the monsters kill them.

The rapid pace of Pitch Dark will keep  pages turning at a furious pace. Teen readers (and adults) who seek a thrill ride will love Pitch Dark. Even this non-SF fan loved the story and the characters, and I read it in one sitting.  Sublime pacing, expert world building and a resounding story make this book a solid five stars. There's no one I'd rather be lost in space with than Tuck and Laura.

Highly, highly recommended for every sci-fi reader and every YA fan. You won't forget this book!

Grades 9 and up for gore and violence.

Non-Fiction Pick: Undecided. Navigating Life and Learning After High School

Undecided. Navigating Life and Learning After High School
by Geniveve Morgan
Zest Books
2014
247 pages, with resources, index and bibliography
ISBN: 9781936976324

Author Genevieve Morgan offers sound advice for anyone who is in high school or in the "gap years." Whether it's military service, volunteer work, an internship, a two year college, a four year college or the work force, Undecided will give young people much needed information about how to navigate the next few years of their lives.

Helpful and informative sidebars and tips are easy to spot in gray boxes. Readers will want to pay close attention to the information in these. Early chapters are about personality traits, being an introvert vs. extrovert and how to choose a career that will fit your personality. Money matters and the cost of a college education help students and parents plan for this drain on family finances. On-line courses may be taken by some students and preferred by many.

Maybe an internship or apprenticeship is the right idea, or studying abroad, or even opening up your own business. Whatever their choice is, soon-to-be twenty-somethings will gain insight from this new book.

A list of websites for resources is an invaluable addition.

Highly recommended grade 8-up. I would not give to a high school senior. Many of the decisions for college--what admission tests to take, how to finance college, how to apply for a loan or grant-- have to made before a student's senior year.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

YA Book Giveaway: Contaminated

Get your hands on a new copy of Em Garner's newest title and score a copy of the first book! Win Contaminate 2: Mercy Mode and a copy of Contaminated. Simply post a comment to the blog. Please include your first name, city, state and email contact. Deadline for posts is August 27 at noon MST. Please check your email on that date. The winner will be chosen randomly by Randomizer. The winner will be notified via email and has 24 hours to respond to claim her/his prize. Good luck and start posting!

Contaminated 2: Mercy Mode

By Em Garner

Ages 12+

Publication Date: August 26, 2014

“Volume 2 of this smart series builds momentum and suspense, raises stakes and expands narrative scope—in short, plan on a marathon, up-all-night read.”—Kirkus Reviews

A gripping survival story, the second in a series by a best-selling author, of a strong girl rebuilding her life in a post-apocalyptic society where a contaminated drink makes victims act like zombies; just right for fans of James Dashner, Carrie Ryan, and The Walking Dead.

Seventeen-year-old Velvet, her little sister, Opal, their mom, who is recovering from the Contamination, and Velvet's sweet boyfriend, Dillon, are attempting to build a new life amid the rationing and regulations of the post-outbreak nation. But the outbreak isn't over: more people turning into “Connies,” more madness erupting, more killings occurring. And what they are being told is not the truth; the truth is far darker and more threatening.

Reviews of Contaminated

“Suspenseful...this dystopia speaks to a wide range of readers, including reluctant ones.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This has plenty of suspense--it's not a book to read at bedtime.”—Booklist

“Velvet may have a softer name than her literary predecessors Katniss, Cassie, and Kaelyn, but like them she has been forced to take on adult-sized responsibilities within her repressive society.... the plot moves quickly...more of a relation-based book than many other teen dystopian novels.”—The Horn Book

Sci Fi Pick: Burn Out

Burn Out
by Kristi Helvig
Egmont
2014
253 pages
ISBN: 9781606844793

Lone survivor Tora Reynolds lives in a bunker designed by her scientist/inventor father. Having lost her entire family, Tora has never felt more alone. The last human she saw was Markus, a gun runner and general no-goodnik who promised to come back for her if he found a habitable planet. Earth has become a giant desert with little water or oxygen. Tora hopes for someone to post a comment to her GlobalNet post but she waits in vain to see if anyone else is alive out there.

Markus comes back, but the problem is that he is not alone. He brought some well-armed soldiers to storm Tora's bunker and take her father's weapons by force. They are not the only enemy. The Consulate sends its forces to take the guns for themselves. This makes Markus's team and Tora now one against the bigger brute--the government or what's left of it.

Kale, James, Britta, Markus and Tora go on a space chase trying to outrun the Consulate's ships and get their weapons safely to Caelia. Tora knows that Kale is the enemy but should she trust Markus who says he's "got her back?" And who is James and what is his angle? He seems like a good guy and Tora secretly crushes on him, but what is he doing as Kale's second in command? What does the Consulate hope to accomplice with Tora's guns?

Shifting loyalties and cloak and dagger rat and mouse games keep the reader guessing until the very end. The plot races along with just the right amount of shoot 'em up action. Tora will appeal to both girls and boys; her tenacity and toughness speak volumes of her character.

Recommended for any fan of sci-fi and space travel books. Grade 9-up. Profanity, violence.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Paranormal Pick: The Prey (book 2)

The Prey
by Andrew Fukuda
St. Martin's Griffin
2013
322 pages

Disturbing, dark, dystopian, and dangerous, The Prey picks up the action where The Hunt left off. Andrew Fukuda sure  knows how to tell a story--his deft prose and sense of timing heighten the reader's excitement as Gene and Sissy struggle to uncover secrets about Gene's father and the new village they are being kept "prisoner" in.

The Mission tells its members that their rules are for the good of everyone, but Gene and Sissy sense something completely sinister in the Mission's rules and its stanglehold on the girls of the village. Except for a few chubby male elders, there aren't any men or boys in the village--just very young children. The girls walk around singing and smiling but Sissy finds out it's because they fear for own well being and lives.

After excaping ravenous and ferocious hepers down a river and riding a waterfall, Gene and the kids end up in an underwater cavern. They are able to climb out of it and discover an old cabin. A strange girl  appears and takes them to the Mission.

The elders keep asking Gene for the Origin, the cure for the hepers that the scientist ( Gene's father) was working on all those years. Gene honestly doesn't know what they're talking about. The days pass, and Gene and Sissy start uncovering all sorts of clues. They finally confront Krugman, the leader of the Mission.  He tells them that a train brings in all the Mission's supplies and that the same train will take them to the Promised Land. Gene and Sissy think it's a trap, and they need answers right now. They search the scientist's workshop hoping to find something...anything....

With conflicting stories: one story goes that there's  a promise of a land of milk and honey just at the end otf the train ride; the other story is that the train will travel right into the belly of the beast. Do the kids dare get on the train? Where does the train take them? To Paradise? Or to the Heper Palace where humans are raised as meat for the Ruler? If Paradise waits at the end of the ride, why didn't Gene's father get on the train? And why would his father kill himself instead of getting on a train bound for Paradise?

Non-stop action and fierce fight scenes hurtle the reader to the riveting ending. Can any of us really wait until September 2013 to read book 3? I want to read it now!

Highly, highly recommended for fans of paranormal grade 7-up. No language. Some fighting. Sissy is searched and branded. The girls of the mission are basically like breeding cows, but no details. If you have The Hunger Games and other YA titles similar, The Prey is a title for you.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Sci-Fi Pick: When We Wake

When We Wake
by Karen Healey
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
304 pages

check out the book's playlist

Available March 5, 2013

Compelling and sleekly sick (in a bad way), When We Wake is a nightmarish view of the near future that will make readers think about the future of science, medicine, politics, and government intervention in citizens' lives.

Tegan Oglietti is having a great day. She's off to a rally with her politically inclined pals and new crush Dalmar. But what starts off as a promising day ends with Tegan's death! She is hit by a sniper's bullet and dies at the rally.

Tegan wakes up 100 years later in a controlled experiment. She has been chryonically frozen for the past 100 years. Her past is gone--her friends, her boyfriend, her parents, her home. She longs to talk to someone her own age. She begs the doctors to let her live a "normal" life. There are some people who aren't so pleased that Tegan has survived. They consider her an illegal alien--someone who immigrated illegally to Australia. The citizens believe she doesn't belong in her own country.

Operation New Beginnning is the government's attempt to save the future's soldiers. Tegan will make this possible, the doctor explains. Tegan is allowed to move in with Marie (the doctor) and begin to attend school. Her life is anything but normal as for her own safety she must always travel with bodyguards. There is danger everywhere.

Tegan and her friends discover the government's terrible secret. Operation New Beginning isn't just about freezing someone. It's got a darker side, and Tegan wants to uncover its dirty secrets and show them to the world.

How far will the government go to hide its secrets? Will it kill off its own Living Dead Girl? Tegan is forced to make a tough decision to save Marie's life.


Recommended grade 7-up. I liked that each chapter name was a Beatles song like "Yesterday," "Revolver," and "The Ballad of John and Yoko," and that Ringo is Tegan's favorite Beatle.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Series Pick: Num8ers: Infinity (book 3)

Numb8ers: 1f1n1ty(book 3, Num8ers series)
by Rachel Ward
Chicken House (Scholastic)
2012
256 pages
Hardcover May 1, 2012

Num8ers: 1nf1n1ty
paperback edition
Available June 1, 2012


Cryptic, chaotic, cutting, caustic, and uber-clever, 1nf1n1ty completes Rachel Ward's terrific and compelling dystopian trilogy.

It is after the chaos that destroyed the world as they knew it. There are no televisions, no computers, no screens or phones anymore. Ater the earthquake and years of fallout, people are just trying to survive the elements and find enough food and warm shelter. Hospitals and pharmacies have been raided; there is no medicine. If someone gets sick, it's likely a death sentence.

Adam and Sarah have been on the run and are avoiding big cities, dangerous gangs, and the corrupt government. Framed for a murder he didn't commit, Adam swears never to be captured or caged again;it looks like someone is searching for him now.

Adam becomes more and more paranoid, wanting to keep away from any other humans, fearing that they will hurt them, but Sarah convinces him to join another seemingly friendly group. When Sarah is captured by a paramilitary gang, Adam is forced to confront his worst fears.The numbers are everywhere and Adam sees them. He wishes to God he didn't, but he is the "prophet" who saw the end coming, the date of the end of the world as they knew it. For this, he is a savior to some, to some an entity to study.

When Mia's number is able to change, suddenly she becomes the target. Who is this miracle child? What is her secret? And how can science use her to create immortality? What if you could change your number? Would you kill for someone else's number? What would you do in order to live forever?

Told in alternating chapters by Sarah and Adam, the novel erupts into non-stop action that will have teen readers frantically turning pages in a frenzied race to the thrilling end. I was sorry when the trilogy ended; it left me wanting more, and I can certainly see where a second set of three books is possible.

Highly, highly recommended for dystopian fans and anyone who is following the series. This series offers a lot of food for thought--genetic engineering, medical and government ethics, corruption, chaos, and terrorism.

Grades 9-up. Language and mature situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Sci-Fi Pick: 2108: Eyes Open

2108: Eyes Open
by K.L. Glanville
Luminations Media Group
2012
270 pages

I have ONE copy of this exciting new sci-fi teen thriller to give away!

It's 2108 and aliens have not only invaded, they've taken over everything everywhere except a few pockets of humanity who are known as "holdouts." Jewel lives with her father in beautiful New Zealand which has thus far escaped the eyes of the aliens. When one of their ships docks nearby, Jewel's father is worried that the aliens have ulterior motives.

Jewel meets Forge--one of "them" and finds herself strangely attracted to him. Sometimes it's best to listen to your elders; sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone.

For kids who enjoy a good sci-fi read, 2108: Eyes Open is not to be missed.

Win a copy for your kids. Post a comment here and include your name, city, state, and email address. I will contact the winner by email. The winner is chosen randomly by Randomizer.

Deadline for posting is April 22 at noon MST. Please check your email on that date. You have 24 hours to respond with your mailing information. The book will ship from California courtesy of Luminations Media Group.

Start posting and good luck! Pamela

Dystopian Fairy Tale Pick: A Long Long Sleep

A Long Long Sleep
by Anna Sheehan
Candlwick Press
2011
342 pages

Part fairy tale, part romance, part science fiction, part thriller, part dystopian fiction, A Long Long Sleep will seduce readers with its eerie concept. Rose Fitzroy has slept for the past 62 years in a chemical induced sleep in her stasis chamber, long forgotten in a sub-basement under a huge corporation until she is awakened by a stranger's kiss.

Rose slept through the Dark Times when the planet was besieged by plague and death that claimed her parents and her boyfriend's lives. Now she is awake in a new world and destined to take the reins of power of her parents' inter-planetary corporation. Some people see her as a threat to their own power; others see her as a freak or a liar. Rose just wants to find her way, and find a way of living without anyone. She barely gets through the days until she finds a friendship with Brendon (Bren) the boy who kissed her awake.

Someone has sent a Plastine, an engineered super-soldier, to kill her, and it will stop at nothing short of success. Rose realizes her father's reign of terror is far-reaching, even after his death.

Compelling and shocking, Rose's parents' actions are beyond abusive. They are power-hungry and selfish, bent on showing the world a "picture perfect" family while they steal their daughter's childhood one week, one year, two years, 62 years at a time. Rose remembers her early years and realizes that her parents sent her into stasis when it was convenient for them--when they needed to get away, to travel Europe, to take a second honeymoon, to throw a grown-ups only party. Her stasis tube became her womb-like babysitter--sometimes for years at a time. While the world changed and her friends grew older, Rose remained in stasis.

The shocking, yet satisfying ending came all-too-fast. The Long Long Sleep is a serious page-turner that mixes sci-fi with dystopian romance. Readers will practically weep for Rose with her child-like naivete and will later cheer her inner strength of character.

Highly, highly recommended grades 8 and up. No sex, no language. Some creepiness factor when Rose realizes Bren is the grandson of Xavier, her boyfriend of 62 years ago, and creepier still because Grandfather is still alive and Rose recognizes her childhood love. Remember she is sixteen and he is now in his eighties.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Graphic Novel Pick: The Never Weres

The Never Weres
by Fiona Smyth
Annick Press, 2011
255 pages (illustrated)

This debut graphic novel by cartoonist and illustrator Fiona Smyth is set in the future in a world where no new babies are being born; the youngest children are fifteen and the aged population of the "oldies" is dying out. With no new citizens, the world will surely die out in a generation. Geneticists and scientists are working fervently to find a solution to this dilemma including finding a safe way to clone humans.

Friends Xian, Mia, and Jesse stumble upon an sixty year old mystery of a missing teenager and a series of tunnels under the city. When they find strange symbols and graphitti, they know they are onto something. Government bots are tracking their progress, and government agents are searching Xian's house and computers.

When Jesse's mother is questioned by the authorities, the kids go into hiding staying just a couple of steps ahead of the agents. What they discover will change the world as they know it.

Exciting and visionary, The Never Weres is a great graphic read. Artwork is compelling and just plain fun. Each layout has so much going on, that readers will want to slow down and study the art. There is great cultural diversity; the three friends represent various ethnic groups and citizens are diverse and unique.

There is one problem in my mind: old computer flash drives or USB drives are found and the characters make fun of them, calling them old-fashioned and joking how ancient the technology is, yet characters still talk on cell phones. If USB drives and PCs are old fashioned, wouldn't cell phones be outdated as well?

Highly recommended for graphic collections grades 7-up.
No language, no sex.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this books from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: Wither

Wither (Book One, The Chemical Garden Trilogy)
by Lauren Destefano
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2011
368 pages

Available March 22, 2011

Wither is a creepy, yet mesmerizing, debut novel that is sure to have readers chomping at the bit to get their hands on books two and three of the trilogy. This is a heart-thumping, page turner of a novel--unputdownable.

In the distant future, genetic engineering is able to obliterate all diseases and illnesses, but something has gone wrong. Males live to the ripe young age of twenty-five; for females--it's just twenty.

Geneticists and scientists are working around the clock to try to save the children, and some scientists are even secretly experimenting on "subjects"--hoping to find the cure but unethically using ill children--causing their deaths. It is in this shocking world gone wrong, that girls like Rhine are taken.

Rhine is kidnapped by Gatherers--men in dark coats who kidnap young girls to sell to the highest bidder. The lucky girls are sold to wealthy men who have many wives in the hopes of many offspring who may live to adulthood. The unlucky ones are sold into prostitution or killed and dumped.

Rhine is one of the "lucky" girls--taken from her home in New York City to a huge mansion in Florida. There she becomes a "sister" wife to two other girls who were kidnapped like her. Rose--who is nineteen and dying--is the first wife of Linden, son of the master of the mansion. The three new girls will be her replacements.

Nothing in this future world is "real"--the fireplaces are holograms, the scenery, the board games--all are false images. Rhine is eager to escape--she wants to go home, back to New York and her twin brother Rowen, who must be going crazy searching for her. Rhine soon learns to be a skilled actress, acting like she loves Linden--waiting for her chance to escape. When she enlists the aide of Gabriel, a servant, they are both in danger.

Readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy and The Forest of Hands and Teeth will probably love this novel.

Highly, highly recommended for high school collections. Mature situations. No language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Tween Read: Misty Gordon

Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates
by Kim Kennedy
Amulet (Abrams), 2010.
240 pages

Misty Gordon is a typical eleven year old girl with typical problems-- except her parents collect antiques from dead people's estates. It doesn't help that her parents' store is called Dearly Departed Antiques and that her dad drives an old ice cream truck with D.E.A.D. on the side (Deceased's Estate and Antiques Dealer). Her dad is able to find some great old artifacts and Misty comes upon a pair of cat-eye glasses that allow her to see ghosts who help her.

The glasses and a crystal ball from a deceased medium help Misty see the future of her small New England town--and she sees pirates brought back to life and the town being destroyed! The ship is sailing towards her town and the only way to save the future depends on Misty finding the Golden Three and solving the mystery.

Funny and entertaining, this novel will appeal to anyone who likes a mystery. Misty is quirky and appealing. Readers who liked Lemony Snicket books will like this one.

Recommended grades 4-7.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for my review.

Young Adult Pick

Epitaph Road
by David Patneaude
Egmont, 2010
266 pages


Edgy, provocative, gripping and forceful, Epitaph Road delivers as a chilling thriller set in the near future. In 2067, a plague descends upon the world killing nearly all the world's male population. Thirty years later, Kellen gets a weird lesson in history from his teacher. It seems through her lesson, she's hinting that the plague may have been planned-- that someone wanted to kill off the male population.

When a second launch of Elisha's Bear seems imminent, Kellen runs off to save his own father and a few other men known as loners--those who survived the first plague and now live away from the female population.

Boys growing up in this matriarchal society are considered inferior beings. In the thirty years since most men died, society has little or no crime, no prisons and no wars. Women live in peace but not in freedom. Kellen has a chance to expose the truth about the plague and the new government.

The novel is built upon an interesting concept and could easily lead to lively book club discussions or classroom discussions on gendercide, sexism, and prejudice.

Highly, highly recommended grades 8-up.
some mild language

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my middle school library. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

The Tomorrow Code

by Brain Falkner
Random House, 2008.
349 pages

The Tomorrow Code by Falkner is a thrill-ride for readers who enjoy sci-fi and adventure. Teen genius Rebecca and her friends Tane and Harley "Fat Boy" discover a code from the future. Once Rebecca writes a computer program that looks for patterns, they are able to see messages that someone or something is sending them from the future. Using numbers from the code, they win the lotto and are instant millionaires! With new-found wealth comes a ominous warning: sos, stop the Chimera Project. Rebecca, Tane, and Fat Boy have to break the code, find the professor, figure out what the Chimera Project is, stop a pandemic, and save the world. The code is their only key.The outcome, although not pleasant, allows Rebecca and Tane to change the present and affect the world's fu ture. The story becomes a time loop in which Rebecca and Tane have another chance to save the world. Teens who enjoy Anthony Horowitz and Scott Westerfeld will probably enjoy this book. Probably for grades 6-9 and older sci-fi fans.