Fear

Fear by Michael Grant is the fifth book in the Gone series by Michael Grant.  This is a science fiction series about a group of kids who find themselves trapped in their town after all the adults disappear.  To make things even more complicated many of the kids have developed superpowers and there are several evil elements (both kids and mysterious creatures) that have made things very difficult in the FAYZ.

This series is so much fun, full of terror and suspense.  This book gives us a new point of view of what is going on outside the bubble and a cliffhanger ending that leaves the reader breathless.  The problems of the earlier books still exist with there being so many characters that I have problems keeping them and their powers straight (can we get a list in the next book) and the book drags at times.  Despite these problems Grant has managed to keep the series fresh and moving even this far into the series.  I can't wait for the final book in the series.

Appropriateness: This series is perfect for teenage boys.  It's sick and twisted and extremely violent.  The violence is gruesome the kids kill each other and some of the characters even relish the idea of torturing and killing other kids.  The kids drink alcohol to excess and do drugs.  There's a sexual relationship between a couple in this edition, and group of kids display some very hateful and racist behavior.  However, there are consequences both physical and emotional to all of the negative behaviors and none of them are glamorized.  I wouldn't give this book to a nine year old but it's absolutely appropriate for the12 and up audience that it's targeted towards and this is a series that boys will enjoy.  This is a series to buy for your child who hates to read.

Now is the Time For Running

 Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Willams, follows Deo a young boy who is forced to leave his home in Zimbabwe after his family is killed in political violence.  Deo is out playing soccer with his friends and his older mentally challenged brother Innocent when soldiers roll into town.  They abuse his brother and then kill everyone in his town while Deo is trying to save his brother.  Deo and Innocent escape and through the help of friends and strangers they escape and cross the border into South Africa.  They face many dangers during their journey and when they get to South Africa they are faced with Xenophobia violence and poverty.

Now is the Time for Running is a very well written book that does a good job at making the African refugee experience relateable to a middle school audience.  The author does not shy away from including the horrors that happen in those situations but also does not overly describe these things in a way that would traumatize a young reader, Deo's experience walk the fine line between being an adventure and being horrible.  Deo's love of soccer is something that kids can relate to and the play by plays of the games are written in a way that makes the reader able to picture the game in progress.  

Appropriateness:  This book contains many adult situations but does so in a way that is appropriate for young readers.  There are a few instances of implied rape (a woman is taken away and hurt on the inside by soldiers for example) that include very little detail.  The horrifying murders and beatings that take place in the book are described simply and without a lot of detail.  The drug addiction faced by the main character is handled in a realistic manner that in no way makes the drug seem positive.  This is a book that boys would really enjoy.  I would recommend this book to ages 12+.

Review copy received from the publisher.  The book will be released on July 5th.

Keep Sweet

Keep Sweet tells the story of Alva Jane, a girl who is initially happy with her polygamist life as she faces the realities of her community.  The author tells a very realistic tale of life for a girl in a FDLS community with a character that middle school girls can relate too.  The book opens with a happy girl, her fathers favorite, who has the same hopes and dreams that all girls have.  Alva likes math and she's got a crush on a boy who likes her back. When she's caught giving the boy a kiss her world falls apart and she's assigned to marry her creepy abusive uncle she realizes she has to escape.

While this book is clearly written for a middle school audience there is some very adult content in this book that might disturb some young readers and parents.  There is a graphic and disturbing rape scene where the act is described (it's not as much as you'd see in a book for older teens but there is a description of the art).  A supporting character is very badly beaten and Alva herself is beaten and tortured.  While I do not think the book is inappropriate at all for the intended middle grade audience these scenes could be upsetting for some readers.  It is a powerful book and the horrors will speak to the young audience and encourage them to learn more about the topic.

The lexile for this book is 930 putting it around a sixth grade reading level.

The Underland Chronicles

The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins is a series that follows the adventures of Gregor.  When Gregor and his sister Boots fall through a grate in his apartment building they find an underland world filled with giant talking bats, cockroaches, spiders, evil rats and an entire human civilization.  After his arrival Gregor is told that a profit foretold his arrival and he is destined to be the warrior that will save the human race.  The five books chronicle the adventures of Gregor, his sister Boots, a giant cockroach named Temp, the underland princess Luxa, Gregor's bat Aries and Ripred a "rager" rat who is working with the humans as they fight the rats.

This series is fantastic.  Each book features an element of warfare, rescuing a prisoner of war, assassination, genocide, chemical warfare and military intelligence.  The elements of PTSD and the repercussions of such violence are also included.  These heavy topics are woven masterfully into a beautiful fantasy world with a brave hero and great friends in a way that makes them very accessible for kids.

Appropriateness:  This is a fantastic series for the 10-14 year old audience and it is a series that will speak strongly to boys (although there are also great female characters that girls will love).  The book is fairly violent (lots of sword fights) and there are some sections in the later books that sensitive kids may find upsetting (I cried in a section of the fourth book), this is a civilization at war and there are casualties on both sides.  The lexile for the books is around 630 putting the books at a fifth grade level.   

Keep Sweet

Keep Sweet tells the story of Alva Jane, a girl who is initially happy with her polygamist life as she faces the realities of her community.  The author tells a very realistic tale of life for a girl in a FDLS community with a character that middle school girls can relate too.  The book opens with a happy girl, her fathers favorite, who has the same hopes and dreams that all girls have.  Alva likes math and she's got a crush on a boy who likes her back. When she's caught giving the boy a kiss her world falls apart and she's assigned to marry her creepy abusive uncle she realizes she has to escape.

Appropriateness:  While this book is clearly written for a middle school audience there is some very adult content in this book that might disturb some young readers and parents.  There is a graphic and disturbing rape scene where the act is described (it's not as much as you'd see in a book for older teens but there is a description of the act).  A supporting character is very badly beaten and Alva herself is beaten and tortured.  While I do not think the book is inappropriate at all for the intended middle grade audience these scenes could be upsetting for some readers.  It is a powerful book and the horrors will speak to the young audience and encourage them to learn more about the topic.  The lexile is 930 putting it at a mid sixth grade level.

Review copy received from Amazon Vine

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games trilogy takes place in a dystopian society.  In the first book Katniss our heroine is chosen to compete in a twisted death match reality show with 23 other kids for the entertainment of the citizens of the capital.  Katniss and Gail the other teen chosen from her district have to fight against the other competitors to try to be the last one standing for it's the only way to survive.  Katniss finds love and friendship in this unlikely environment. 

While at first look The Hunger Games seems to be a terrible book about kids killing kids is more than that.  The book examines the horrors of war and violence and the reader puts themselves in the shoes of Katniss examining what they would do if they were in her situation.  As the trilogy continues Katniss finds herself in the middle of a revolution that she is not so sure about and the story examines the dangers of an vengeful out of control government.

This is a very quick read and one that is very hard to put down.  It is one I recommend to both boys (who like the fighting) and girls (who like the love story).  After reading this teens could be encouraged to read more literary dystopian tales such as Lord of the Flies and 1984.  The dystopian genre is one of the fastest moving in YA literature and there are a wide range of other dystopian novels for teens to enjoy.

I would recommend this book to the middle and high school reader.  While it is very violent (I wouldn't recommend it to kids who have nightmares) there is no sexual content (aside from kissing) or substance abuse to concern parents.  There are two books out currently with the third expected at the end of August and a movie based on the original is in production.