Review: The Walls have Eyes by Clare B. Dunkle

Synopsis: Martin Glass may have seen his baby sister Cassie to safety at the end of The Sky Inside, but his problems are far from over. There’s a totalitarian ...more Martin Glass may have seen his baby sister Cassie to safety at the end of The Sky Inside, but his problems are far from over. There’s a totalitarian regime in place, murderous game shows on the air, and a host of government agents on Martin’s tail. And Martin and his Alldog, Chip, get more than they bargained for when they go back to Martin’s old suburb and have to rescue Martin’s parents. But spending time in the wilderness with Mom and Dad isn’t the worst of it. Because Martin learns that Cassie is still in danger—and to keep her and the other Wonder Babies safe, he’s going to have to risk the thing he loves most.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia, published August 2009, 225 pages, The Sky Inside #2.

I'm still not impressed with the series, but I have to say it's slightly better than the first. More excitement (but still slow moving), and less confusing. I enjoyed going through the experience of Martin Glass' parents going into the real world and leaving their "bubble" behind. Although his dad annoyed me many, many times. He was always acting superior and because Martin's a teenager, he must not have any common sense at all. At times, that superiority got him in trouble. (And that part I liked!)

This book concludes my participation in the dystopian challenge!

Review: Hunger by Michael Grant

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is ...moreSynopsis: It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody.

But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia, published May 2009, 590 pages, Gone #2.

I'm glad this book FINALLY got around to addressing the issue of the Mysterious Hungry Monster in the Cave that everyone's so freaked out about. lol

Mysteries are solved and some are still not in the second book of the Gone series, and leaves me "hunger"ing for more...ok, bad joke.

Minor things in the book I had issues with in Hunger: evolution references and one of the characters was gay.

Michael Grant writes with an addicting style. Never a good place to put the book down. "OK, at the end of this chapter I have to eat something....ooh, I wonder what the next chapter is going to be about...", etc.

Hunger was more darker and more depressing than the first book. Food is diminishing and everyone's ganging up on everyone. People are turning into freaks, and because of that, they're being ostracized by the normals.

Some of you may disagree, but I wish Astrid had a more exciting personality. I really like Diana, but I always like the snarky, spicy girl characters in books. I know Astrid's a brain and all, but smart girls have personality too!

So is Gone a trilogy or is there going to be another one after Lies?

Review: Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Synopsis: Keep Your Head Down.

Don't Get Noticed.

Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for ...more Keep Your Head Down. Don't Get Noticed. Or Else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia, published April 2010, 315 pages, Inside Out #1.

Inside Out is a GOOD book, but not a GREAT book. A lot of imaginative thought and plotting went into it, but I still feel like it could've been deeper and the story more intricate.

*SPOILER* I should've guessed that the doctor was Trella's mom, but for some reason I didn't. I guess this is why I'm terrible at solving mysteries before the end of the book! *END OF SPOILER*

I will definitely be waiting to read Outside In, the sequel. I just hate to wait a whole year until its release. I know I'll forget everything that happened and be all "Huh??" when I'm reading the second book.

And now I'll retreat into my next dystopian book, Hunger....frantically paging through books trying to finish the dystopian challenge before next Tuesday. Two more books to go!

Review: The Children of Men by P.D. James

Synopsis: In the year 2021, the world is a bleak place where all human males have become sterile, and no child can ever be born again. Civilization is giving way to cruelty and despair, and historian Theo Faron has nearly resigned himself to apathy. Then he is asked to join a band of revolutionaries--a move that may hold the key to humanity's survival. In the year 2021, the world is a bleak place where all human males have become sterile, and no child can ever be born again. Civilization is giving wa...m

Specs: Adult fiction, dystopia, published in 1992, 256 pages, 0/5 stars.

I didn't enjoy The Children of Men, let's just put it at that. There are a few reasons that I could come up with, other than "I hated it!":

1. The writing. P.D. James can definitely put a person to sleep. If you have insomnia, check this one out from your library.

2. The "feel" of the book. I couldn't wrap my head around this book. A lot of things didn't make sense, and the way the author would word things, I was left up in the air saying "Huh? What did that paragraph I just read mean?"...Confusion.

The basic plot was a good idea: the women becoming infertile and no babies anywhere in the world. But other than that, The Children of Men was a dud. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm guessing it's better than the book. (Which is a rarity.)






While waiting for my other dystopia books to come in at the library, I picked a classic book at random in my personal stash: Oliver Twist. I started reading it years ago, and only got past 60 or so pages, so I thought I'd re-read the beginning and get through it this time! I only hope that Oliver proves to be a better read than my last two books!

Review: The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

Synopsis: One day in early spring, Dorrit Weger is checked into the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is promised a nicely furnished apartment inside the Unit, where she will make new friends, enjoy the state-of-the-art recreation facilities, and live the remaining days of her life in comfort with people who are just like her. Here, women over the age of fifty and men over sixty - single, childless, and without jobs in progressive industries - are sequestered for their final years; they are considered outsiders." "In the Unit they are expected to contribute themselves for drug and psychological testing, and ultimately donate their organs, little by little, until the final donation. Despite the ruthless nature of this practice, the ethos of this near-future society and the Unit is to take care of others, and Dorrit finds herself living under very pleasant conditions: well-housed, well-fed, and well-attended. She is resigned to her fate and discovers her days there to be rather consoling and peaceful. But when she meets a man inside the Unit and falls in love, the extraordinary becomes a reality and life suddenly turns unbearable. Dorrit is faced with compliance or escape, and ... well, then what?

Specs: Adult fiction, dystopia, published June 2009, 268 pages, 0/5 stars.

The Unit read more like a diary than a book, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't like it. There wasn't a lot of excitement. It was a day-to-day record of what was happening to Dorrit in the Unit, her past that brought her to the Unit, and her love of her dog who she missed.

Experimenting on older people like gerbils in a lab is horrific, but rather than focus on that, Holmqvist focused more on the people in the Unit and their emotions and reactions to the experiments they're going through.

I was very confused at the end. Without spoiling the ending for anyone, I was wondering "Why did Dorrit decide to do that??" It didn't make sense to me.

Review: I am Legend by Richard Matheson

Synopsis: A terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, that is, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider. He is the legendary monster who must be destroyed because he is different from everyone else.

Specs: Adult fiction, dystopia, published in 1954, 171 pages.

At the beginning, I wasn't so sure I'd enjoy it, but after sticking it out past 50 pages, I really started to get into it. I read it all at one time, taking very short breaks.

I didn't find it that horrifying, in spite of the misleading cover.

I have mixed feelings about the length of I am Legend. I would've liked to have gotten to know the characters more. It seemed right when I was getting to know them, the book ended. But on the other hand, a scary story like this one should be short and ... not so sweet.

I haven't seen the movie, so it didn't ruin the book for me (don't you hate it when that happens?). I heard the computer graphics aren't that great anyways, so I might not bother.

I find it hard to believe that this was written in 1954...weird.

Review: This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Synopsis: It's been over a month since Miranda Evans has written in her diary, a month of relative calm for her and her family. It's springtime, and with warmer...more It's been over a month since Miranda Evans has written in her diary, a month of relative calm for her and her family. It's springtime, and with warmer weather comes rain, and the melting of the winter's snow. The shad are running in a nearby river, and Miranda's brothers Matt and Jon leave home for a few days to see if they can catch some to supplement their food supply.

When they return, Matt brings with him a girl named Syl, who he introduces as his bride. But that's not the only shock Miranda and her family have to deal with. A few weeks later, Miranda's father, stepmother, and baby brother show up at her door. Accompanying them are three strangers, a man named Charlie Rutherford, and two teenagers, Alex and Julie Morales. These five people have crossed America together, becoming, in their own way, a family.

Specs: YA fiction, dystopia, published April 1, 239 pages, Last Survivors #3.

Not the best in the series by far, but still a good read. In the Last Survivors series, there is no good stopping place! I feel like I need to read the books all in one sitting. Impossible to set it down.

The first book, though, is still my favorite. I think that's because it's the first dystopia I've ever read, and it just struck a cord with me. I remember how I felt when I was reading Life as We Knew It, and I was amazed and horrified at the same time. It's something that could actually happen (based on my limited science knowledge, of course), and that's really scary.

But this post is for This World We Live In, the last book in the series. It continued both of the previous stories, which I liked. I thought it was cool how the author incorporated both of the book's characters and collaborated them into one. But the book itself....not her best work.