Dystopian Pick: Plague Land

Plague Land
by Alex Scarrow
Sourcebooks
December 2017
384 pages
ISBN: 9781492652106

In this scary sci-fi dystopian novel, main character Leon watches a news story about  a horrific virus that has broken out in Africa. His mother tells him not to worry; they're so far away in England. Within a week, the deadly sickness has spread to England, and it's terrifying.

Bodies liquify and turn to "juice."Entire cities are wiped out. The strange thing is that the way the plague seems to be moving, as if it's adapting. Humans are on the run, but there is no outrunning whatever this is. It  may be the end of the human race.

The ending leave an opening for a series, and YA fans will not want to wait long to pick up the sequel.

Recommended grade 9-up.

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

Sci-Fi Pick: Scythe (Guest Reviewer Gloria James-Avalos)

This review is by guest reviewer Gloria James-Avalos, YA librarian, William Slider Middle School, El Paso, Texas. Follow Gloria on Twitter @GJAvalos_WDSMS

Scythe
Book 1
by Neal Shusterman
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
2017
448 pages
ISBN: 9781442472426



First in a planned series, Scythe is set in a world that is not really dystopian, but nearly Utopian. Scythe is where everyone lives. No one dies: every illness, accident and even death can be remedied. Through technology, humanity can now go on forever. While this future world sounds wonderful, the biggest problem is overpopulation. To control the population, some young people are apprenticed to Scythes, legal assassins. Citra and Rowan are two teens who are apprenticed. Neither of them wants to be a Scythe, and only one will be chosen. One will face a lifetime of gleaning, or killing, and the other will face immediate death.

Scythe is a bold and thoughtful work, precise and fantastical, and not too far-fetched from what can be accomplished by science. Questions of what makes us human, our humanity, and who can pick and choose who lives and who dies will bother readers. A Printz Honor Book, Scythe delivers a sweeping tale that is sure to stick with readers long after they've turned the last page.

Highly recommended grade 7 and up. Fine for middle school but not for the faint of heart.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. Neither I nor the guest reviewer received monetary compensation for this review.

Trilogy Pick: The Infinite Sea (book 2, The 5th Wave)

The Infinite Sea
by Rick Yancey
Putnam
2014
300 pages
ISBN: 9780399162428

Gripping and desperate yet hopeful and healing, The Infinite Sea will have readers whipping through the pages to find out if this is truly humanity's last stand! Rick Yancey is a masterful storyteller who knows how to captivate. The only downside to The Infinite Sea is the sometimes confusing POV and figuring out which character is telling the story. The story jumps around a bit, so read carefully to make sure you don't miss plot points.

Cassie Sullivan and her close band of humans stick together; they are all they've got. The rest of the human race has fallen, and the Others won't stop until they have annihilated the Earth of every last human being. Cassie, Teacup, Zombie, Ringer and Poundcake want to wait for Evan Walker, but they know that time is running out before winter is upon them, or worse, before the aliens find them and kill them.

The group decides to move out. Cassie realizes that the aliens could have killed all of them  by now and wonders what they are waiting for. They should all be dead, yet she is in control and able to outsmart them and matches their every move with calculated chess moves of her own.

There is nothing the Aliens won't do to win, and that includes turning human toddlers into walking bombs. Cassie is horrified and vows to stop the aliens at all cost. Cassie begins to wonder if she is all human. She knows Evan is an alien but he has lived with humanity too long. Evan is beginning to turn human, but Cassie still doesn't completely trust him. Evan has a bad habit of disappearing when the humans need his help, but he promises Cassie that he'll always find her. Are the aliens really behind this Earth takeover? Or could it be someone even more insidious? Maybe all will be revealed in book 3; until then, I can only think, "Wow!"

Cassie is one human girl full of kick-@$$! She isn't about to let aliens win and she won't stand idly by and watch her friends murdered one by one. Note to self: in case of alien invasion and the 5th Wave, find a friend like Cassie and stick to her like glue.

Highly recommended for grade 7 and up. 

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)