Books By Theme: Artificial Intelligence in YA Lit

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow Science Fiction. In the far future, an artificial intelligence called Talis has achieved world peace...by holding hostage the children of world leaders. Princess Greta has grown up as one of these "Children of Peace," but now her country is on the brink of war and her life could be forfeit. Enter Elián, a new, rebellious hostage who inspires Greta to question who she loves and where her duty truly lies. With an international cast of characters, Canadian author Erin Bow crafts an intricate world filled with impossible decisions and shocking twists. If you can't get enough dystopian fiction but are tired of the same old, same old, don't miss The Scorpion Rules, the 1st in the Prisoners of Peace series.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher Science Fantasy. Finn is trapped in Incarceron, a brutal, futuristic prison imbued with artificial intelligence and so vast that it's like a city. Claudia, the daughter of Incarceron's ruthless warden, is being forced into an arranged marriage for political reasons. The two of them live in completely separate worlds, but each is desperate to escape -- and they may be each other's only hope. Readers of either science fiction or epic fantasy who love twisting plots, intricate world-building, romance, and plenty of political intrigue are sure to be hooked by this riveting read and its sequel, Sapphique.

Willful Machines by Tim Floreen Science Fiction. You'd think that being the President's son would offer a life of ease, but things are far from easy for Lee Fisher. For one thing, he's been targeted by a rogue "artificially conscious" terrorist (ironic, since Lee is a robotics geek). Then there are his dad's ultra-conservative politics, which force Lee to hide the fact that he's gay and falling fast for his eccentric new classmate, Nico. And those are just the first of many thorny situations Lee has to face in this near-future techno-thriller filled with star-crossed romance and thought-provoking questions about artificial intelligence.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Science Fiction. Ugh, you know that feeling when your break-up is overshadowed by the destruction of your planet? No? Well, it isn't what Kady and Ezra are expecting either, but when their home on the mining colony Kerenza IV is annihilated by corporate rival BeiTech, their personal issues take a back seat to survival. Yet even after they escape on separate spaceships, survival is a tall order: the ships are afflicted with unrest, conspiracies, a crazed artificial intelligence, and a virus that turns people into rage-filled zombies. First in a trilogy and told through message transcripts, surveillance logs, and other "found documents," Illuminae is a gripping, unconventional science fiction thriller.

Books By Theme: YA Lit for People who think YA lit sucks

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group.Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 172p. 

In the age of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, it can be easy to forget that in our nation's not-so-distant past, a homegrown terrorist organization held large parts of the country hostage. The Ku Klux Klan began with six young male members in 1866 and grew through the rest of the 19th and into the 20th centuries to include an estimated five million men and women. Bartoletti does not censor the hateful language of the Klan's threats or the depictions of their victims. From the chilling cover with a sweat-soaked hood to the picture of thousands of Klansmen marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in 1925, Bartoletti's juxtaposition of word and image brings to light a shadowy legacy that is with us still.

Fleischman, Sid. Sir Charlie: Chaplin, The Funniest Man in the World. Greenwillow Bks. 268p. 

Charlie Chaplin was born into poverty yet became one of the richest and most successful entertainers of his age. Then his adopted nation turned on him, forcing him into artistic exile for the better part of 20 years. As he did for Mark Twain in The Trouble Begins at 8 (2009), Fleischman here treats his subject with wit and wisdom, bringing to light details that will surprise even the biggest silent film fan. For instance, did you know that Jim Henson's Muppets now occupy the studio that Chaplin built? Published posthumously, this last book from a master storyteller humanizes a Hollywood legend.

Dogar, Sharon. Annexed. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. 341p.  

Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl is sacred territory, so it is with great skepticism that I approached Dogar's retelling of the story from Peter Van Pels's viewpoint. The result is both a fresh perspective on a familiar story and a meditation on the tragedy of a lost generation of Jewish youth. While Peter strains under the annex's cramped conditions for the better part of two years, another side of Anne is revealed. It might have been annoying at times to live in close quarters with a young aspiring memoirist. Knowing how the story ends does not stay the impact of the book's final pages.

Sedgwick, Marcus. Revolver. Roaring Brook Pr. 204p.

Sig is alone with the frozen body of his father, awaiting the return of his family, when a stranger comes to the door. Gunther Wolff claims that Sig's father owes him half a fortune in gold and will not leave until it is produced. To Sig's knowledge, the only thing of value in their tiny cabin is an ancient revolver in the store room. Should he use it, knowing that bringing a gun into this game of cat-and-mouse could result in his own death? I am deeply glad that I read Revolver in August, because it would take far more than a toddy and Snuggie to warm the chill that permeates every page of this Arctic thriller.

Reinhardt, Dana. The Things a Brother Knows. Wendy Lamb Bks. 245p.  

Levi's brother Boaz returns home after three years in the U.S. Marines, unrecognizable to his family. The once-popular and -outgoing athlete now stays in his room all day with the radio turned to static andwon't get in a car. When Boaz announces that he will be hiking the Appalachian Trail for the summer, Levi knows that he is lying and follows his brother on a very different journey that leads from their home in Boston to Washington, DC, with stops to meet the families of Boaz's comrades. One of my all-time favorite books is Bobbie Ann Mason's In Country (1985; the 1989 film version stars a youngish Bruce Willis), so naturally, the story's conclusion at the Vietnam Memorial had me sobbing uncontrollably. Nevertheless, the power of this story is in the brothers' journey and their relationship, which builds step by step and mile by mile.

Books by Theme was inspired by both Melissa at One Librarians Book Reviews's feature Listless Monday and Court at Once Upon a Bookshelf's Listed feature.  Be sure to check out their lists!

Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp

Jane-Emily
by Patricia Clapp
HarperCollins, 1969
139 pages
Children's/YA fantasy; ghost story
Personal Copy

Summary in a Sentence (or two): 

Eighteen-year-old Louisa Amory is off to spend the summer with her aunt and young niece, Jane, who has an invisible friend, Emily. Seems innocent enough, until Louisa learns that Emily was a real girl who died in the house years ago but maybe never quite left.

My Thoughts:

The first time I heard about this author or novel was when perusing Lizzie Skurnick's Shelf Discovery, which, if you haven't picked up yet, is a wonderful little gem of a book featuring teen classics from decades past. Many of you guys have joined the Shelf Discovery Challenge as well.

Anywho, I happened upon Jane-Emily and was at once drawn in with the synopsis of the story. I love ghost stories and anything with a Gothic feel. I couldn't find this one at any library nearby, so I ordered it and am so glad I did. This is a classic creepy, psychological ghost story with a side of romance for good measure. Something about children who are evil, possessed ghosts always seems extra malevolent, don't you think? Oh, and you will never look at those silver reflecting balls in peoples' front yards the same way again...

~For fans of Poe, Shirley Jackson, Du Maurier, all that good stuff. This book might also be a good way to get your kids to be fans of the aforementioned :)

Rating: 4/5

Also Recommended:

•  Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Other Reviews: 

• Surrounded By Words
• A Life in Books
• Reading the Past

Guest Reviewer: Angry Management

Angry Management
by Chris Crutcher
Pub: Greenwillow, 2009
ISBN: 9780060502478
246 pages
Genre: Fiction (Novellas)
Source: Library Copy


Please give my mom Ann, a high school library media specialist, a warm welcome here on A Bookshelf Monstrosity as she reviews Crutcher's new book :)

Summary in a Sentence:

A collection of short stories featuring characters from earlier books by Crutcher such as Sarah Byrnes and Angus Bethune.

Mom's Thoughts:

I just finished reading Angry Management by Chris Crutcher today.  I enjoyed it very much.  It was basically 3 short stories or novellas in one book.  One interesting thing was that Crutcher used characters from some of his previous works--Angus Bethune, Sarah Byrnes, Mr. Simet from Whale Talk, and others.  But you would not have to read any of his previous books to enjoy this book.  Mr. Nak is the leader of the Angry Management group at Global Community Health.  I like the case notes Mr. Nak writes at the beginning of each novella (Nak's Notes).  He describes these as First Impressions.  I liked each story, but my favorite was "Meet Me at the Gates, Marcus James." Recommended for fans of Crutchers'  Deadline and Whale Talk.

Rating: 4/5

You might also like:

• Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
• Ironman by Chris Crutcher
• Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
  

Other reviews:

• Finding Wonderland
• Bookshelves of Doom 
  

and

Review: Every Soul a Star

Every Soul a Star

by Wendy Mass

Publisher: Little, Brown 2008

Summary in a Sentence:

Ally, Bree, and Jack meet at Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, to watch a total eclipse of the sun; but soon they begin to learn a great deal about themselves, each other, and the universe.

 My thoughts:

 
Let me begin by saying that I found out about this book because of my (former) babysitting charge's hearty recommendation. She just finished reading this with her mom and they both loved it. I love it when 13 year olds tell me that I simply must read a book!

Ally, Bree, and Jack tell their stories in alternating chapters of their experiences at the Moon Shadow campground, building up to a solar eclipse. I was immediately drawn to Jack and really found his thoughts resonating deeply with me. I think he reminded me a little of myself at 13 or 14. Mass includes just enough elements of astronomy to pique your interest without making you feel like you are -gasp!- learning something, which is just perfect for the target audience of middle schoolers.

Ally lives at the campground with her family where she is homeschooled. Bree, dragged to the eclipse by her family is the stereotypical mall-bound and materialistic tween, which leads me to my only complaint of the novel. I felt that Bree's character was too one-dimensional and predicable for most of the book. It isn't until about three quarters of the way through the book that her character begins to show some multi-dimensional characteristics that the reader can begin to relate to,and she really turns out to be the surprise character twist of the novel. Where the novel shines is with the character of Jack. He reluctantly agrees to go to the campground in order to pass his science class. More interested in drawing and keeping to himself, Jack undergoes a transformation to become a leader of sorts among the campground's inhabitants.
As the story progresses, we see the characters grow and develop as they form unlikely friendships and become more comfortable with themselves.

Lastly, I loved how the book was built around the facts of astronomy in general, and solar eclipses in particular (the author includes some informative endnotes on astronomy and also provides some helpful websites). Mass is very engaging and keeps the reader on their toes throughout the entire novel.

Also Recommended: 

• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
• Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs
• Shooting the Moon by Frances O'Roark Dowell
  

Other Reviews:

• Librarilly Blonde 
• The Reading Zone 
• Book Nut
  

Review: The Kin by Peter Dickinson

 

The Kin 

by Peter Dickinson

Publisher: Firebird, 2003

ISBN: 9780142501207

628 pages

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Library copy

Summary in a Sentence:

 

Dickinson's Kin series, Suth's Story, Noli's Story, Po's Story, and Mana's Story, novels about four prehistoric children, are published here in one edition along with Pourquoi tales interspersed throughout the novel that provide a folkloric heritage and belief system for the Kin and also explain character motivation.

  

My Thoughts:

After reading a few just so-so books, I really wanted to get lost in a great tome of a story. The Kin was just the ticket. The book is actually four novels published in one volume, weighing in at just over 600 pages. The story is paced really well, so I would look up from reading and realize I had just knocked out 50 or 75 pages in no time. I'm a huge history fan and have always been interested in the history of early mankind. Set in prehistoric Africa, this novel imagines what life was like for the clans of people surviving in the African deserts.

The stories of Suth, Noli, Po, and Mana are interspersed with Oldtales, or creation stories about the Kin's First Ones, which I found to be really interesting and illuminating as to how the characters behaved and reacted to life in the wild. Each First One is an animal, such as a monkey or a pocupine, and each Kin is named after a First One. The mixture of myth and history was just perfect and very entertaining.

A most interesting aspect of this book is how Dickinson imagined communication between speaking and non-speaking humans. The four children the stories follow belong to the Moonhawk Kin, which consists of highly verbal humans. Along the way, they encounter the Porcupine Kin, who are nonverbal but are still very communicative through sounds and gestures. Some of the Moonhawks say that the Porcupine Kin are not really 'people' because they can't speak words, but others, particularly Noli, are convinced that the Porcupine are just as human as anyone else even though they are different.

All in all, this novel is a very interesting and thought-provoking work of 'prehistorical' fiction.

P.S. This counts toward my Random Reading Challenge.

Rating: 4/5

Read Alikes: 

• The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
• Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
• The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
  

Review: Montmorency: Thief, Liar Gentleman

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman
by Eleanor Updale
Publisher: Orchard, 2004

Summary in a Sentence:

In Victorian London, after his life is saved by a young physician, a thief utilizes the knowledge he gains in prison and from the scientific lectures he attends as the physician's case study exhibit to create a new, highly successful, double life for himself.

My thoughts:

"Sewage stinks, but rich people, on the whole, don't."

Allow me to introduce you to Scarper, a thief who sneaks around the sewers. Or is he Montmorency, the charming, wealthy gentleman living the high life of the well to do? Try both! This Jekyll and Hyde-esque novel is so wonderful. The plot is non-stop action and the characters are so very well-written.
Montmorency, a seasoned yet likeable criminal, is saved through scientific advances and cutting edge surgery by the prison physician, Dr. Farcett. While being displayed by the good doctor in a lecture one day, Montmorency overhears a discussion on London's sewer system and his alter ego Scarper is born, along with an elaborate plan to make him rich.

Although the book was published as a young adult novel, I do believe I enjoyed it more now than I would have as a teenager. It was a fast-paced and witty thriller and, lucky for me, there are 3 more in the series. Highly recommended :)

Rating: 5/5

Read Alikes:

• Try the rest in the series: Montmorency on the Rocks, Montmorency and the Assassins, and Montmorency's Revenge.
• SilverFin by Charlie Higson
  
• Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung

 Other Reviews of This Book:

• An Adventure In Reading  
• Bookshelves of Doom 
• The Magic of Ink
  

Hear an excerpt read aloud on NPR here.

Review: Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Fairest 
by Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2008
Young Adult Fantasy


Summary in a Sentence:

In the Kingdom of Ayortha, Aza, an unattractive woman with a magical voice, learns to balance her appearance with her talent, meanwhile, her singing attracts both Prince Ijori, who cannot resist it, and Queen Ivi, who plots to use it to benefit herself.

My Opinion:

"I was born singing. Most babies cry. I sang an aria."

What a stellar first line. What follows is Levine's tale loosely based on the fairy tale Snow White. All the basic elements of the ancient tale appear in some form or fashion in the novel: apples, fair skin juxtaposed with jet black hair, dwarves (or gnomes in this case), a charming prince, and a cleverly disguised wicked queen. I would definitely recommend reading Ella Enchanted first before reading this one; this book has some characters connected to Ella. It's not imperative that you do so; just helpful.

Song is an important concept in the book; the Ayorthaians value singing as their main form of expression. This fact leads to my only complaint for the book: lengthy passages of sung poems or verses are included in the novel and I confess I began to skip over them. I found the songs to be annoying after the first 8 or so. Perhaps others wouldn't find them to be as distracting as I did. I understand the need for them to be there; I just did not like the vast amount included.

One of the main themes of Fairest is an important one for the book's target audience: accept the way you look. You're unique and beautiful just as you are. Aza was just like any other teenage girl - insecure and too hard on herself. I think many YA readers could relate to the way she feels. This aspect of the novel is very applicable in today's appearance-driven society.


You might also like:

• Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
• The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler
• Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
• Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison

For author information, visit Gail Carson Levine's blog.