Review of The Loop by Ben Oliver

Oliver, Ben.  The Loop.  Chicken House, 2020.

The Third World War, also known as “Futile War”, ended with the dropping of twenty-nine nuclear bombs and the deaths of nine-hundred million civilians.  Even more people died afterwards when the temperature of the Earth dropped.  A coalition of rebels from both sides of every country ended the war, but  it was billionaires who caused it in order to stay rich and in power.  This resulted in only one governing system called The World Government and the birth of Happy, their computer operating system, which controls life all over the globe.  Citizens are divided by caste, with the Elite being the highest. 

 

Sixteen-year-old Luka “Luke” Kane is living in The Loop, a death row prison for teens, for a crime he did not commit.  Life in The Loop is no picnic; inmates are in solitary confinement and get only one hour of exercise per day.  Their energy is harvested nightly in order to power the prison, and they receive chemical-laced showers immediately afterward.  Prisoners can extend their lives every six months by agreeing to Delays, scientific experiments which benefit the Elite of society.  The only pleasure Luke receives is reading books brought to him by the Warden of the prison.

 

After a cataclysmic event, Luke and some of his friends are able to escape from The Loop.  However, they discover that the outside world is even more dangerous than inside the prison.  Citizens have become vicious and are maiming and killing each other.  The former prisoners must defend themselves, run for their lives, and avoid being captured.

 

This debut novel, the first in a planned series, by Ben Oliver is a terrifying journey into a dystopian society created out of a planned, devastating war.  The world that the author has created, both inside and outside of the prison, is both eye-opening and terrifying.  The prisoners are treated brutally, and the caste system is set up to be mandatory and discriminatory.  The book is packed with gripping action and surprises.

 

Billed as a “mashup of The Matrix and The Maze Runner”, this class-warfare novel is a political and social commentary on what might happen to our world if these events were to become reality.  There is an ethnically diverse group of characters which are well-developed and fleshed-out.  The futuristic world-building is well-thought out and presented.

 

The Loop is the first in a planned trilogy by this Scottish author.  Hand it to fans who enjoy dystopian and science fiction novels.  I recommend it for upper middle school, high school, and public libraries and give it four out of five stars!

 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Chicken House for allowing me to read and review this book.

Reviews of Two Amazing World War II Novels

Cameron, Sharon.  The Light in Hidden Places.  Scholastic, 2020.

Stefania “Fusia” Podgorska, now sixteen, has been living with the Jewish Diamant family for the past three years while working in their store.  The Diamants love Fusia, and she is even secretly engaged to one of their sons, Izo, though she is Catholic.  Then, World War II begins, and the Nazis invade their Polish town of Prezemysl and force the Diamant family into the ghetto.  Fusia discovers that her parents have been put in a labor camp, and her siblings, with the exception of her abandoned six-year-old sister, Helena, are scattered all over Poland.  Fusia takes in “Hela” and keeps living in the Diamants’ apartment. Fusia eventually agrees to hide one of the Diamant brothers, despite realizing she could be killed by the Germans for helping Jews.  Soon one Jew turns into thirteen Jews, and Fusia must find creative ways not only to hide them, but to also feed them without attracting the attention of the Nazis.  To make matters worse, the German army commandeers her apartment to house two German nurses who entertain German officers frequently in their room.  

This well-researched historical fiction novel is a true story of courage, heroism, and resourcefulness.  The book is based on the unpublished memoir of Stefania Podgorska and interviews with family members.  The world building is extraordinary; readers will feel they are actually living in World War II Poland through the events and places of that time period.  The book is narrated by Fusia, who lives in constant fear of outsiders finding out that she is harboring Jews in her home.  All the characters, even the minor ones, have clear-cut personalities, and Fusia is a strong female heroine.

Stefania and Helena were honored in 1979 by the World Holocaust Remembrance Center for their heroism in saving Jews during World War II.  This novel would be appreciated by adults, as well as teens.  Hand it to readers who enjoy historical fiction and stories of survival.  I highly recommend it for public, middle school, and high school libraries.

Hesse, Monica.  They Went Left.  Little, Brown, 2020.

Eighteen-year-old Zofia Lederman lives in Holocaust death camps for three years, wondering where her younger brother, Abek is.  Sadly, she knows the rest of her family has been killed.  When Soviet forces liberate the Gross-Rosen concentration camp, Zofia is sent to a hospital to recover.  Although her physical wounds heal, her mind is still badly broken.  After being released from the hospital, she sets out to find Abek, traveling through Poland and Germany, inquiring as to his whereabouts at displaced persons camps along the way.  She finally ends up staying at U.N.-run Foehrenwald, a displaced persons camp near Munich.  At the camp, she rooms with other Jewish women and falls in love with Josef, a man also living there.  Everyone in the camp is trying to put their lives back together, and many are looking for missing relatives.  While searching for Abek, Zofia sees that even the smallest experiences can bring hope into others’ lives.

They Went Left is not your typical World War II story.  It is the story of what happens to people after the war is over, and they must pick up the pieces of their broken lives.  While Zofia is a strong female character, she is an unreliable narrator because her memory is full of holes, and she is often confused.  She cannot actually remember the last time she saw Abek, her brother.  This is likely due to the trauma she has experienced while living in several death camps.  However, she has resilience and perseverance, and comes to realize that there is hope and healing will come.  The women she lives with in the Foehrenwald help her to see that she will have a life after the war.

This is the third novel that the author has set during World War II, and would also be enjoyed by adults.  Give this novel to readers who like historical fiction, romance, and mystery.  I highly recommend it for public and high school libraries.

I give both of these incredible World War II novels five out of five fleur de lis!

Review of Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Scott, Victoria.  Fire and Flood.  Scholastic, 2014.

Tella Holloway’s brother, Cody, is very sick and dying.  When, out of the blue, she gets a chance to try to save his life, she jumps at it.  Against her parents’ wishes, she enters the Brimstone Bleed.  The prize is The Cure—the remedy to save her brother’s life.  To win, Tella will have to journey across a jungle, a desert, an ocean, and the mountains against other Contenders.  There is only one prize, and she vows she will win it for Cody.

The Contenders’ only help comes from their Pandoras, genetically engineered animals with unique fantastical abilities.   Tella’s Pandora, KD-8, which she names Madox, is a black fox with bright green eyes.  He has the power to morph into other Pandoras and to read Tella’s thoughts.

As Tella bands together with other Contenders, she discovers that some Contenders are helpful and kind, while others are cutthroat and brutal.  What Tella eventually discovers from Guy Chambers, another Contender, is that not everything is at it seems, and there is a reason for everything—especially in the Brimstone Bleed.

This book started out eerily similar to The Hunger Games, but ended up being something different entirely.  Tella starts out as an average teenager, but grows and matures as the story develops.  She becomes a  stronger and more compassionate protagonist.  Guy Chambers, Tella’s eventual love interest, is smart and well versed in survival techniques.  However, he has a sweet, caring side that is “swoon-worthy” that will appeal to teen girls.

The mix between science fiction, romance, and adventure will attract both male and female readers.  This book will be enjoyed by readers looking for a book similar to The Hunger Games and by those who enjoy a good survival story.  The second book in the series, Salt and Stone, is expected to be released in March, 2014.

I recommend Fire and Flood for middle school, high school, and public libraries.  I give it four out of five fleur de lis!

Review of Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick

Bick, Ilsa J.  Monsters.  Egmont, 2013.

As Monsters begins, Alex is frantically trying to climb out of a mineshaft that is flooding due to an explosion in the mine. Peter is still stuck in one of Finn’s cages and is having hallucinations and acting like one of the Changed.  Chris is unconscious, lying underneath a spiked tiger cage.    Rule’s Spared are considered “Golden Children”—untouchable and entitled.

But Rule is running out of food, ammunition, and medicine.  The Awakened have grown tired of the Spared—Aiden, Greg, Lucian, Sam, Tori, and others—getting extra food and special treatment.  The Rule Elders are planning a mutiny against the Council and the Spared.  Kincaid, who is back in town, is keeping Jess in hospice, away from everyone.

Kids hiding in Oren—Hannah, Ellie, Jayden, and Eli--have discovered Chris underneath the tiger trap.  Hannah thinks he has too many injuries to save and gives him water containing a lethal poison to put him out of his misery.  This upsets Ellie, who wants to help him.

Alex, who was saved from the mine by Wolf and his gang of Changed, is now buried underneath the avalanche caused by the explosion.  Tom has gone out to look for her, hoping to find some indication that she is still alive.  However, he ends up fighting for his life against a Changed girl who has a strange look in her eyes.  While they are fighting, he notices someone watching from a distance in the trees.

Finn is still running experiments on the Changed.  He is giving them mind-altering drugs so he can control them.  He plans to attack and take over Rule.  Others are secretly working with him because everyone has a grudge to settle.  Weller and Mellie are keeping secrets from Tom and “his kids”.

Wolf finds Alex underneath the avalanche and is keeping her alive.  Even though there is not much "food” to go around to his gang members, he is keeping her safe while they travel.  She doesn’t know where they are going, but he has her carrying a medical pack.

All these plots weave together in an exciting climax in Monsters, the final book in the Ashes series.

Ilsa Bick has again given readers a riveting thriller of a novel!  Though there are a large number of characters, readers who have followed the other two books may remember them.  However, she has also put a refresher chapter at the end of the book to bring readers up to speed on characters and what was going on as Shadows ended.

The book is extremely character driven and nearly every character has a point of view in this installment.  At times, I had to put the book down and walk away due to the enormous amount of characters.  I needed time to absorb and mull over all the plot threads and their implications.

The novel is terrifying, gory, and dark, as are the other two volumes.  It seems like the characters have to overcome obstacle after obstacle, as more and more horrifying situations are thrown at them.  There is violence, and shock and awe, with twists and turns, as our three main characters—Alex, Tom, and Ellie—eventually make their way back together.

Fans of the series will not want to miss this ending!  I highly recommend it for high school, public, and middle school libraries that already have Ashes and Shadows.  I give it five out of five fleur de lis!

Review of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Sepetys, Ruta.  Between Shades of Gray.  Speak, 2011.

In 1940, the Soviet Union began their occupation of Europe’s Baltic States, and under Stalin’s reign, started deporting thousands of citizens of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to remote Russian areas.  The NKVD forced them to work for tiny rations; thus, many of these people did not survive. 

Between Shades of Gray tells the story of the Vilkas family, who is among a group of people who end up in Trofimovsk at the North Pole.  Fourteen-year-old Lina, ten-year-old Jonas, and their mother, Elena, are dragged from their home in the middle of the night and forced onto a train.  Unbeknownst to them, their father and has already been sentenced to death and put in prison.  On the train, seventeen-year-old Andrius Arvydas, and his mother befriend them.  Eventually,  Andrius becomes Lina’s love interest.

Parts of the Lithuanian group are sold as slaves, and others, including Lina and her family, work for measly rations on a beet farm.  As winter nears, they are shipped via train and barge father north, finally landing at Trofimovsk. There, they must build their own huts from leftover bark, twigs, and moss to avoid freezing to death, while the NKVD keep warm in brick buildings and have plenty to eat.  The harsh winter brings many deaths, and it is only through helping each other and the secret kindness of one of the guards that allows Lina and Jonas to survive.

Ruta Sepetys has told a heart-wrenching tale of survival.  She has done extensive research into the story of the Baltic occupation and deportations and has deftly woven numerous facts into the plot.  Stalin’s actions were kept secret until the 1990s, which explains why his acts have remained obscure until fairly recently.

It is easy to empathize with the characters and what they are going through.  Sepetys’ descriptions of the horrors the Lithuanians  endure is painful to read.  Lina and Jonas have to grow up too fast to handle everything that is thrown their way.  Elena is helpful to her children and the other people around her because she has such a positive outlook, even when things seem bleak and hopeless.

There are maps at the front of the book showing a timeline and the distance that the Vilkas family traveled.  There are discussion questions, an interview with the author, and an excerpt from Out of the Easy, Ruta Sepetys’ newest novel, at the end of the book.

This novel has won a number of honors--all well-deserved!  Fans of Holocaust and World War II literature will enjoy Between Shades of Gray.  I highly recommend it for middle school, high school, and public libraries.  I enthusiastically give it five out of five fleur de lis!!!!

Review of Feedback by Robison Wells

Feedback by Robison Wells; HarperTeen, 2012.

Benson and Becky have successfully escaped from Maxfield Academy, but Becky is deathly ill.  They are wandering in the woods and come upon the real Jane, who leads them to a town in the middle of nowhere.  Benson discovers that the residents of the town are all the kids who were in Maxfield!  Not only that, but they are part of a top-secret experiment that Maxfield is trying to hide from the public!  The town is run by Birdman and people he trusts, who live in a century-old fort.  Other kids live in barracks nearby.  There are only two rules for the town’s residents—stay out of trouble and live their lives. Unfortunately, all the kids are prisoners in the town—they can never leave!

Surprise raids are frequently made on the town by Iceman and Ms. Vaughn.  Benson and Becky are being hunted by them, and the kids who help them are in grave danger.  Benson comes up with a plan to help both the kids in the town and the students at the academy, but can he stay alive long enough to see it through?

Feedback picks up right where Variant left off.  Sixteen people died when Benson and Becky escaped, and Benson feels responsible for their deaths.  The emotion that Benson feels as the result of these deaths at times clouds his judgment.  Students from Maxfield play a prominent part in the second book.  Although no gang loyalties are present at the fort or the barracks, I went back and made a list of all the characters from Variant and to which gangs they belonged.  Readers may want to go back and reread Variant before starting Feedback.  It would help with the transition between the two books.

One of the things I really like about this book is that while I was learning about the town, I was also able to learn a lot about the Maxfield’s history, as well as what happens to the kids who are sent to detention.  Readers will also learn more about some of the students, like Jane and Laura, as well as others.

The main part of the story centers around Benson, Becky, and other students trying to escape from the town and expose what is going on at Maxfield.  Since they have no way of knowing how far they are from other people, this is a daunting task! 

Feedback does answer many questions that were raised in Variant, and there are many twists, turns, and surprises!  While Feedback was good and I did enjoy it, I do not feel it reached the “hold-your-breath” excitement that Variant achieved!   It will be released on Tuesday, October 2, 2012.  I recommend Feedback for middle school, high school, and public libraries.

**Reviewer’s note:  The copy reviewed was an ARC received at the 2012 Texas Library Association Conference in exchange for an honest review.

Review of Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick.  Egmont, 2012.

The second installment of the apocalyptic Ashes series picks up where the first book left off.  Alex has left the town of Rule to search for Tom and Ellie and is taken captive by a group of “The Changed”.  This faction has adapted to their new lives by learning how to use weapons, cooperate with each other, and even ski!  However, they are still deadly, zombie-like killers. 

An elderly couple has given refuge to Tom; they are desperately trying to replace the void in their lives left by the death of their son.  Peter has been taken captive by a vigilante group who are performing experiments on “Chuckies” and “Spared”.  Chris, Lena, Kincaid, and Nathan are “rescued” on their way to the Rule jail and sent off, defenseless, to Oren.    Other citizens of Rule are actually traitors and liars who will say and do anything to keep their “Changed” children and grandchildren alive and support their own agenda!

The paths of the some main characters will soon surprisingly cross, culminating in a tense, exciting climax that will leave readers hanging and drooling for the third book!  I don’t want to give anything away, so that is much as I can reveal!

Shadows is a thrilling, gory, and exciting book!  However, if readers want to be able to follow what is going on in the plot, they might want to reread Ashes, especially the parts about Rule.  I read Shadows twice and made extensive notes about characters and plot in the second time through, just to keep track of everything!  In fact, I caught many things when I read it for the second time that I had missed on my first read.  Many of the characters are citizens of Rule, and while they are more developed, there are also new characters that appear briefly and then are killed off. 

 

Ashes alternated between the viewpoints of Alex and Tom, but Shadows contains numerous points of view, as well as many flashbacks.  The complicated plotlines are all going on at one time, so get ready to change personalities often!  This might be a little confusing at first, but readers will eventually get used to it.

There is plenty of action, blood, and gore for readers to enjoy.  There is even an orgy scene, although it is just alluded to, rather than described.  Readers who have read Drowning Instinct will notice a similarity between a particular scene in that book and one in Shadows.  In addition, the Amish culture and language is cleverly woven into this story. 

Revenge and retribution are apparently going to play a large part in the third book.  As with Ashes, there are plot twists and turns and a cliffhanger ending that will leave readers drooling for the final book in the series, Monsters, which will make its debut in about a year.

Ashes will be released on September 25, 2012.  I highly recommend this book for high school and public libraries!

*Reviewers note:  The copy reviewed was obtained at ALA MidWinter from Egmont in exchange for an honest review.