Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
Ava doesn't know where she is or who she is. She has been diagnosed with amnesia after being found wandering the woods outside her home. Although Eva is well loved by her mother and her friends, she doesn't remember or feel anything for them. Ever since her "accident," she's been having flashbacks of life that seems very real to her. In this realm, she is part of the State Anti-terrorism Taskforce (SAT), which protects the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). Her responsibility is to watch subject 56-412 who may just be a threat to PDM. However, this subject makes her feel funny and whenever she thinks of him, or her other life, she is hit with a massive migraine. Although Eva recognizes the faces of names that surround her, she remembers them differently, which not only scares her, but shows her that there is something very wrong with this reality. As she tries to cope with this new life, a woman named Clementine turns her world upside down because not only does she presume to know Ava, but when a boy named Morgan appears out of thin air, her dreams reveal that she is living in a nightmare.   

Critical Evaluation:
Elizabeth Scott ventures into a new genre by combining alternate realities with moral dilemmas. Eva has never known what its like to be loved and cherished. When Morgan shows her how special she is, she is caught between duty and her true feelings. Although readers will learn how Eva came to this world, they are with EVA every step of the way, which makes it hard to put this story down. With the help of Eva's dreams and flashbacks, we learn that power and control not only turn people into monsters, but devoid them of any satisfaction of being unique and loved. The central theme of this story revolves around identity where Eva is caught between the two and has to decide which is really her. Moreover, her relationship with Morgan not only throws her into further turmoil, but its this love that helps her make the right decision regardless of the cost. This is a thought provoking story where teens will experience the weight of decision making and how those consequences will not only affect us, but those around us.

Information about the Author:
According to her  website, Elizabeth Scott grew up in a tiny town in Virginia and her parents were both educators and actually took three classes taught by her father (para.3). After graduating high school, she went onto college and had every intention living a glamorous life and to not get married. Well, she ended up meeting her husband at college and held down a variety of odd jobs such as being a secretary, selling pantyhose, working as an editor, and burning CD's.

She started writing young adult novels and can't imagine doing anything else. Scott has written nine young adult novels and has gained a solid audiences. According to Scott:

"I read a lot, and I love all kinds of books, but young adult books hold a very special place in my heart. Being a teenager is both the most amazing and the most frightening thing — there's so much going on with you, your friends, your parents, and handling that and school and having to think about your future... it can be really exciting, but it's also a lot to deal with!" (para. 7).

Genre:
Teen Fantasy

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up


Books Similar to As I Wake:

• Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearce
  

Awards & Recognition:
N/A

Plot Summary:
In this sequel to The Adoration of Jenna Fox, is the story of Jenna's two best friend, Locke and Kara, who "died" in the accident as well. It has been over 260 years since Locke and Kara have been released from their prison only to learn that not only have they lost their bodies, but they have changed quite a bit. Unlike Jenna, who has been alive in well all this time, their new bodies, or BioPerfect, are much more advanced. However, Locke and Kara have no idea why they were brought back from the dead and for what purpose. Unfortunately, they were resurrected by a man named Dr. Gatsbro who not only "saved" them from purgatory, but has other plans for them that they do not agree with. Although their bodies are not real, their minds are and Kara and Locke decide to make a break for it and look for Jenna. The difficult part about this plan is that both Kara and Locke do not have registered ID's and no money. Furthermore, it has been 260 years since they last stepped outside and they have no idea where and how they will get to Jenna. The ending will leave readers biting their nails.   


Critical Evaluation:
In this brilliant conclusion, Mary E. Pearce continues to provide readers with a very real situation where medical science has overstepped their ethical boundaries. In this story, two minds have been unlawfully detained to become a part of an experiment that has been deemed illegal. Like Jenna, Locke and Kara are no longer humans, but commodities that will not only make humans immortal, but are results of people's unwillingness to accept death. Pearce provides teen readers with a tale where we have to make choices that will not only affect us, but those around us. There are a bunch of twists and turns that will make the reader ponder what it is to be human even if we are not completely flesh and blood. The most touching aspect of this story is the bot named Dot who is 100% machine, but develops hopes and wishes. I truly enjoyed reading this story.  


Information about the Author:
Born in 1955, Mary E. Pearson, a native Californian, decided that she was going to be an author at the ripe age of seven-years-old. Her love for writing stemmed from her second grade teacher who could really tell a story. All through elementary school, her teachers had praised her for her writing and she continued to write all the way through high school. What most people don't know about Pearson is that she absolutely loved to dress up and take on the identity of her favorite storybook character, which has helped immensely with her writing. After graduating high school, she went onto to Cal State Long Beach where she earned her BFA in Art where she spent a few years working as an artist. After giving birth to her children, she went back to school, San Diego State, to get her teaching credential and taught various grades. According to Pearson: "I went on to teach many different grades but it was my second grade students who pushed me back into writing. During Writing Workshop I would sit with them and write, loving the process, loving the stories, and lo and behold deciding I would love to return to my first love. That's a whole lot of lovin' going on and luckily for me I was able to do just that"(para. 5). Pearson currently lives in San Diego where she writes full time and has written five young adult novels. 


Genre:

Teen Sci Fi


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up


Books Similar to The Fox Inheritance:

• Uglies by Scott Westerfield
• Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Awards & Recognition:

• Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, June 2011