Review of Alienated by Melissa Landers

Landers, Melissa.  Alienated.  Disney Hyperion, 2014. 

High school senior Cara Sweeney has gotten every honor attainable—Young Leader Award, state debate champ for two years, president of the National Honor Society, and class valedictorian.   All she needs now is a good scholarship for college.

Imagine her surprise when Cara’s family is chosen to host an interplanetary exchange student from Planet L’eihr.  As payment for hosting, Cara will receive full tuition to any college she chooses.  Not only that, she will be able to post about her experiences with the alien on her blog.

When Aelyx, the L’eihr exchange student, arrives, Cara discovers that even though he is he handsome, he is rather cold and aloof.  He likes the drab colors of winter, doesn’t care for earth food, and is dreading his time with his host family.  As Cara and Aelyx grow closer, HALO—Humans Against L’eihr Occupation, begin staging protests, hoping to upset the alliance between Earth and L’eihr.  HALO’s demonstrations become increasingly violent and eventually result in another exchange student’s death.

Fearing for their lives, Aelyx and Cara flee earth.  Cara discovers that Aelyx and the other exchange students have tried to sabotage the Earth alliance by poisoning crops with a L’eihr parasitic tree.  Feeling that Aelyx has betrayed both her and Planet Earth, Cara must decide if she will accept his apology and continue with their relationship.

The plotline and world building of Planet L’eihr and its inhabitants are ingenious.  The novel is extremely character-driven, and the two main characters—Cara and Aelyx—are strong and likable.  There are some intense romance scenes between the two that will leave readers breathless.  Aelyx is very literal in his comments to others, which adds humor to the novel.  Alienated is the first book in the new series by the same name and will be released this Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Invaded, the second book in the series will debut in 2015.  I highly recommend Alienated for high school and public libraries.   I give it five out of five fleur de lis!

The Selection by Kiera Cass; HarperTeen, 2012.

It is 300 years in the future; World War IV has ended, and the United States is no more.  It has been replaced by new countries, complete with a numbered caste system based on occupations.  Everyone is limited on their life choices based on their ancestors’ ability to help the government.  Thus, the rich and royalty are deemed as “1”, while the homeless, wandering, and poorest people are labeled as “8”.

Living in Illѐa, America Singer and her family are all classified as “5” because they are performers and artists.  While they do well during the holiday seasons, they barely scrape by other times during the year.  America’s boyfriend, Aspen Leger, is a “6” because he and his family are servants, trained for indoor work.  America and Aspen have secret midnight meetings in the tree house in her backyard because it is forbidden for people of different classes to have relationships with each other.  Despite this, they hope to marry sometime in the future.

Prince Maxon Schreave has come of age, and it is time for him to choose a wife.  It is a tradition in Illѐa for male royalty to choose brides from its citizenry.  A lottery is held, whereby thirty-five girls are chosen to compete for the honor of being the prince’s bride.  Since America is determined to marry Aspen, she has no desire to enter into the lottery.  However, her mother and Aspen have other ideas.  Aspen urges her and America’s mother bribes her to enter the lottery, and, despite all odds, she is one of the thirty-five girls chosen to compete for the crown!

From this moment on, America is considered the property of Illѐa.  She must leave home and move into the royal palace in order to compete.  There are many restrictions placed upon her, and her every waking moment, as well as the other girls’, is televised all across Illѐa.  Her status is immediately upgraded to that of a “3”, and for every week she stays in the competition, her family is handsomely compensated.  Her life becomes one of luxury—beautiful clothes and jewelry, delicious food, three maids to take care of her, and a lovely palace to live in!  But there is also danger, for rebel attacks often occur at the palace.

Although her first impression of Prince Maxon is that of a haughty, selfish individual, America soon changes her mind.  She is actually falling for the Prince, until Aspen shows up at the palace.  He has been drafted into the military and has been named to the Royal Guard.  He is still in love with her and vows to win her back.  It is now up to America to decide what course she wants her life to take—does she choose the life of luxury with the prince or does she choose her first true love?

What a wild ride this book is—this dystopian fairy tale!  I love the descriptions of the gowns the girls wear, the palace food, the rooms in the palace—I feel I am actually a part of this magical story!  The contrast between America’s life at home with her life in the palace is like night and day.  She becomes an instant celebrity and heroine to everyone in her province when she is selected!  Once she moves into the palace, she feels bad that her maids are waiting on her and taking care of her needs!  America is such a likable, compassionate character, despite being outspoken and blunt!  Many of the girls want to completely change how they look and act, but she has the self-esteem to stay true to herself!

Aspen aggravates me.  He is portrayed as such a nice guy in the beginning of the book.  However, he leaves America high and dry when, knowing he is hungry, she gives him food she has prepared.  Then he begs her to take him back when he shows up at the palace!  What a jerk!  I really want to like him, but I just can’t!  On the other hand, I did not originally like  Maxon, but I could not resist his charm!  He is so well-mannered, polite, and thoughtful--a real prince, through and through!

Some of the other girls in the competition are likable, while others are so catty and cutthroat.  This is so similar to teenage girls in today’s world—what a contrast in personalities!  And what about that love triangle!???!!!!  Who will Maxon choose, and who will America choose?  We will have to wait until the next book in the series to find out more!

I have read that the television rights to the book have been bought by the CW Network, and they are working on the pilot.  I’m anxious to see how true they stay to the book!

I recommend this delightful book to middle school, high school, and public libraries! 

Review of Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver.  Harper, 2012.

The “old” Lena is dead; a “new” Lena has been born.  This one is tougher and stronger.  She must forget about her old life and Alex; instead, she must focus on surviving in The Wilds, with the help of her new friends, who are part of the resistance.  This time, Invalids are fighting not only “The Cured”, but Scavengers, and a group calling themselves the DFA—Delirium Free America, as well.  Finding food and keeping safe are much harder now; hunger, secrecy, and fleeing become the norm.

When Lena and Julian Fineman, the leader of the DFA youth division, are captured and imprisoned, they must put aside their differences and work together to escape.  What they discover, however, is that not everything is what it seems.  Even the resistance and the DFA are hiding unbelievable secrets of their own!

Pandemonium is the second installment in the Delirium series, and it begins right were the first book ended.  Lena has made it to The Wilds without Alex, but she is wounded and must scrape her way through forest and underbrush.  She is eventually discovered by members of the resistance and nursed back to health.

The chapters are told in alternating time periods—Now and Then.  “Now” is the story taking place in the present time.  It is the story of Lena infiltrating the DFA and learning all she can about them.  “Then” is the back story—what happens following her escape from The Cured society.   This back and forth among the chapters was a little confusing at first, but once I got used to it, I decided it really works.  Near the end, the two stories merge and are told only in “Now”.  Without giving the book away, I will say that this part of the book was extremely suspenseful.  It was very insightful of Lauren Oliver to organize the plot this way.

Many new characters were introduced in this book, and a new love interest is thrown in for Lena.  Raven, who is the unofficial leader of the group that Lena joins up with, is a strong female character and role model.  Near the end, I did not like her as much, but as the story ran its course, I changed my opinion of her.  The same goes for Julian, the handsome son of DFA Leader, Thomas Fineman.  Julian seemed very cold and understandably stand-offish at first, but changed as the story  unfolded; I ended up loving him!  Also, I wonder if there is some veiled “tongue-in-cheek” reason  the last name of Fineman was chosen for both Julian and his father??

The descriptions of the underground prison, the tunnel dwellings, and its inhabitants were dark and mysterious.  The author has a true gift for painting intricate pictures with her choice of words.  This book seems to have more action than Delirium, which really kept me turning the pages!  As I read very last page of the book, I realized that there is a surprise twist, and I could hear in the background imaginary dramatic chords…”Dah, Dah, DAAAAAH”!!  I cannot wait for the 3^rd book!!!!!!

Fans of this series will not be disappointed!  I highly recommend it for high school and public libraries!       

Book trailer for Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Review of Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver; Harper, 2011. 

Sixty-four years ago, the United States President and his consortium proclaimed "amor deliria nervosa" to be the dealiest of all deadly things.  They declaired love a disease. Fifty years ago, the government closed the U.S. borders, and forbade physical contact of uncureds of the opposite sex.  The military began guarding the borders; every sanctioned and approved community must be inside a border.  Travel between communities would only given with written consent of the government at least six months in advance.  Phone conversations are monitored and people are constantly being watched.   Many things, including oil, are rationed.

Forty-three years ago, scientists perfected a love cure, to which every teenager must submit on or shortly after their eighteenth birthday. Sympathizers for Uncureds are either executed or locked in The Crypts, a combination of a prison and mental institution, to serve a life sentence.  People who live in the unregulated land between recognized cities and towns, called "The Wilds", are known as Invalids because they have not been cured.

 

On September 3, Lena will turn eighteen years old and cannot wait for her cure.  She hopes that the cure will help her to overcome the extreme sadness she feels for her mother, who committed suicide when Lena was six years old.  However, she is not looking forward to Evaluation Day, where a panel of four or five people will assess her and assign a score which determines her future job or college and future mate.  Lena's Aunt Carol tells Lena that she probably won't be friends with her best friend, Hana, after they undergo the cure because they will probably not remember each other and will not have any more emotional ties. 

Everything changes when Lena meets a boy named Alex, who serves as a facility guard.  At first, they are friends, but eventually, the relationship blossoms into something much more.  Ulitmately, Lena and Alex plot to escape to The Wilds, but are caught, and Lena is imprisoned in her aunt and uncle's house, awaiting her cure, which has been moved up and will happen almost immediately.

What a great dystopian read this book was!  It reminded me of a modern Shakespeare story, where love between two young people is forbidden and they must meet secretly.  The cure hanging over Lena's head is like a death sentence in the distance.  The characters are sketched out brilliantly; the Cureds are portrayed as emotionless zombies, unable to even feel love for their own children and family members.  Lena and Hana are fun-loving and full of life.  To know that these traits will soon be extinguished by The Cure adds an amount of doom and gloom to the story.  The scene which features a visit to The Crypts reminds me of the horrifying descriptions of the old mental wards from the early 1900s.  Lena waiting for Alex to come to her rescue near the end of the book seems eerily similar to the rescue of Queen Guinivere by Lancelot in "Camelot".  She is the damsel in distress!

Fictional quotes from The Safety, Health, and Happiness Handbook, 12th edition, (also called The Book of Shhh), and other "government publications" begin every chapter.  I feel like the book is a real work of art from beginning to end.  It is due to be published on February 1, 2011.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for high school and public libraries!

Review of Addicted to Her by Janet Nichols Lynch

Addicted to Her by Janet Nichols Lynch; Holiday House, 2010.

Rafa is a junior and a member of the high school wrestling team. His dream is to win at the state meet and get a college scholarship based on his wrestling abilities. However, that all changes when he hooks up with beautiful, voluptuous Monique, who has no ambitions and only likes to party and have a good time. Jesus, who has been the only father-figure Rafa has ever known, lives with his mother, brother, and sister. Unfortunately, Jesus is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador and speaks almost no English. Jesus is a kind and loving man, but Rafa is embarrassed by him and cannot figure out what his mother sees in him. Rafa sees things differently when he hears the story of how Jesus fled from El Salvador. Shortly thereafter, Jesus is falsely accused of being in a notorious, terrorist gang and is taken away by I.C.E. in the middle of the night. His “family” is determined to bring him home, and focus on ways to achieve their goal.

When I started reading Addicted to Her, I did not think that I would like it. However, it was actually quite good and a very quick read. The effect that beautiful, bad Monique has on impressionable Rafa is astonishing. He goes from being squeaky-clean and responsible to lying and lazy; the contrast is like night and day. Rafa is so blinded by love and lust that he cannot see what this trashy girl is doing to him. There is a hilarious scene in the book in which Monique brings Rafa to her parents’ house. In the scene, the reader discovers that Monique’s parents are just as trite and self-absorbed as she is! It’s no wonder she’s so messed up! Contrasting with Monique’s parents, are Rafa’s good, hardworking mother and her common-law husband. They are very proud, honest, and loving. Two side plots are going on during the story. One deals with Rafa’s younger brother, who is having trouble obeying the law and his family’s rules. The other story deals with the problem of Jesus and illegal immigration. Jesus’ story about leaving El Salvador is both riveting and compelling!

There is a smattering of Spanish throughout the book, but it is translated into English. Unfortunately, the message about illegal immigration does become preachy at times, which was a drawback to the story. I recommend it to high school and public libraries.

Review of Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Spells by Aprilynne Pike; HarperTeen, 2010.

In this sequel to Aprilynne Pike’s Wings, Laurel Sewell is summoned to attend instruction at The Academy, a school for faeries in Avalon, during her summer break from high school. She is expected to cram years of schooling into a couple of weeks, poring over books and memorizing plant names and their uses. After such intense study, she must attend class with other Fall faeries and learn how to make sugar vials, potions, powders, and serums. Her days consist of only class, studying, and sleeping!

Tamani continues to be a sentry on Laurel’s land, guarding the entryway to Avalon from trolls, who have recently made themselves scarce. On two occasions, Tam is able to take Laurel “sight-seeing” through the wondrous faerie land, where Laurel is treated to amazingly beautiful sights she has never before experienced! The descriptions of Avalon are exquisitely done, complete with lush details of faerie life and flora. Laurel discovers that there is actually a caste system among faeries, with Winter faeries being at the top of the hierarchy, followed by Fall, Summer, and Spring, respectively, based on the difference in faerie population numbers. A faerie’s season is determined by the time of year that his seedling germinates. Much to Laurel’s chagrin, Tam is a Spring faerie, and, thus, is expected to bow to those above him, as well as walk two steps behind upper-class faeries, including her.

Summer comes to an end, and Laurel has to leave Avalon and return to school and her boyfriend, David, with whom she is still in love. She must constantly practice her vial and potion-making, even though she has returned to the human world. Jamison, one of only three Winter faeries, has warned Laurel that she must learn to use her Spring magic quickly because her family and friends need her protection. One evening at a party, trolls stalk Laurel and David, who unwittingly enlist the aid of Klea, a human who hunts supernatural beings. Although Klea and her covert group save the pair, the incident leaves Laurel and David wary of not only trolls, but others, as well.

Weave in several subplots—conflicts between Laurel and her mom, the kidnapping of Laurel’s best friend by trolls, a faerie New Year’s festival, and, finally, a surprising conclusion. Chelsea has to choose between David and the human world and Tam and the faerie world. The ending will leave readers expecting that another book is already in the works!! Aprilynne Pike’s faerie world is exquisite and a place I would love to visit! She has outdone herself with this sequel! I highly recommend this book for high school and public libraries.