Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
Conner Lannister just found out that his parents parents signed the order to have him unwound. In this world, children are born to prove their usefulness; if they are "unfit" or "problematic" parents have the right to have their children's organs harvested so they would become useful in the body of another. In other words, the soul doesn't parish, but lives on in someone else. For Risa, a ward of the state, her reasons for being unwound are not because she is unruly, but she is just a statistic where government resources can no longer support her. As for Lev, he was born the be a tithe for his family, which means his existence is to be taken to the Harvest Camp to be a martyr for a greater cause. Although society sees "Unwinding" as an acceptable compromise between the Pro Choice and Pro Life groups, what they don't realize is that their greed, hatred, and ignorance kills hundred and thousands of innocent teenagers. For Connor and Risa, this situation is unacceptable and they decide to run away. What they don't count on is running into Lev, who was set on being tithed, and how it would affect their escape. Although freedom is the goal, what they don't realize is that it comes with a heavy price that will change them forever. 

Critical Evaluation:
Neil Shusterman had created an amazing story that not only mirrors the savagery of William Golding's Lord of the Flies, but creates a debate that will have teens talking for days. Abortion has, and always be, an issue that comes across in party politics, but what this issue really does is provide a extremely realistic outcome about what happens when the issue goes from heated debates to all out war. The main issue that is being addressed is what determines the worth of each person; moreover, it talks about to what extent would we take it upon ourselves to decide that our children are not worthy to live their lives in their current form. Granted, adolescence is not an easy time for any parent, but what really got me going is how these adults can easily sign over their child's life? Unfortunately, there are not a lot of strong adult figures, except for a few, but what is remarkable about these teens is the impact unwinding has on them; those who survive started off a scared kids, but lived to become compassionate, patient, and loving adults. Despite this irony, Connor, Risa, and Lev tell a very scary tale of how morality conquered the government and in order to survive one must rebel and fight for what they believe in. It is almost scary could repeat itself so lets hope this never happens.

Information about the Author:
In his website, Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn and began writing at a very early age. After attending high school, he went to University of California, Irvine (UCI), and made his mark for being an excellent swimmer and writer. Within months of graduation, he got his first book deal and scripting gig. Not only is he known for his young adult and children's novels, he has experience as a screenwriter and television writer:

Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor (para. 4).

Genre:
Teen Dystopian Thrillers

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 10 & up

Books Similar to Unwind:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
  

Awards & Recognition:

• ALA Top Ten Picks for Reluctant Readers (2008)
• ALA Best Young Adult Book List (2008)
• School Library Journal Starred Reviews (2008)
• Publisher's Weekly Starred Reviews (2007)
• Voya Top 10 Picks for Reluctant Readers (2008)
  

Plot Summary:
In this haunting tale is Victor Frankenstein's first lesson in the ways of alchemy and science. What most readers don't know about Victor Frankenstein is that his inspiration for creating his Frankenstein began with an accidental discovery. When Victor, Konrad (his twin brother), Elizabeth, and Henry stumble upon a secret passage in the Frankenstein mansion that lead to an abandoned library, they didn't  realize that this collection of old books is about alchemy, magic, and science that have been outlawed for quite some time. As they explore the contents of the Biblioteka Obscura (Library of the the Obscure) they discover a book entitled Occulta Philopsophia, which contains the famous "Elixir of Life." Unfortunately, this discovery is short lived when Alphonse Frankenstein, Victor and Konrad's father, finds them exploring the innards of this dark place. Although the twins are unsure why their father would keep these items, they learn that their family has actually dabbled in Alcehmy, which had left a dark shadow. Victor has never really taken his studies seriously, but, when his twin falls gravely ill, his obsession to create the "Elixir of Life" is heightened by fear and recklessness. What Victor realizes is that his pursuit for the elixir will cost him a lot more than he thought, which leads to tragedy.
 
Critical Evaluation:
In This Dark Endeavor, Kenneth Oppel, has provided readers with a background that not only leads into the story of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, but gives us a picture of the innocent young man who became the creator of the monster we all know. Oppel is well known for his Silverwing series, which is amazing, but his venture into the history of dark magic is well executed in this story. In fact, when I stumbled upon this title, I was incredibly excited because I love it when authors step outside of their comfort zone, but are still able to use their talents that set them apart from others; Oppel combines his ability to incorporate the elements of a great adventure that has serious consequences. Clearly, Oppel did his research in regards to Alchemy and Catholicism, which set the ominous tone for the story. Moreover, this story touches on issues that are very prevalent in the mind of a growing teenager: is it better to have faith or to see to believe. A lot of people struggle with this question and the fact that we have a choice in the matter. Although Elizabeth believes in the power of faith, Victor believes in the power of Science, which takes him down a road he never thought possible. Readers will enjoy this glimpse in Victor Frankenstein's adolescence and will want to pick up Frankenstein.


Information about the Author:
According to the author's website, he was born in Port Albani, but lived most of his life in British Columbia. He knew he was going to be an author at the age of twelve years old after realizing he wasn't going to be a scientist or an architect. Like most young boys, he had an obsession with Star Wars and video games, which lead to the foundation of a long story that ended up becoming a short story:

We had a family friend who knew Roald Dahl - one of my favourite authors - and this friend offered to show Dahl my story. I was paralysed with excitement. I never heard back from Roald Dahl directly, but he read my story, and liked it enough to pass on to his own literary agent. I got a letter from them, saying they wanted to take me on, and try to sell my story. And they did.

Kenneth Oppel has written over 15 novels and stories for children and young adults and This Dark Endeavor is his latest adventure.
 
Genre:
Teen Adventure, Teen Fantasy


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up


Books Similar to This Dark Endeavor:

• Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
• The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Awards & Recognition:

• Publisher's Weekly Starred Review (6/6/2011)
• Horn Book Magazine Starred Review (7/1/2011)
• Bulletin of Center for Children's Books (9/1/2011)

Plot Summary:
Daphne is not the typical demon. In fact, as the daughter of Lilith and Lucifer, one would only expect diabolical things, but, alas, Daphne is far from that. Despite the taunting from her mother, and her sisters, Daphne is bored and unfulfilled. Actually, Daphne is more like her half-brother Obie, who happens to be the son of Lilith and Adam (the Adam from the book of Genesis). Unlike most demons, Obie is actually a "do-gooder" where he actually saves souls rather than reaping. In this story, Daphne learns that Obie is leaving Hell to live on Earth like a human being to be with the woman he loves; the though of Obie leaving her frightens her so much that she asks her teacher, Beelzebub, for help. However, he fear is only escalated when a Obie suddenly disappears and the only person who can help her is a boy named Truman.What she does not know is that Truman carries a dark secret that will bring them closer than she expected.


Critical Evaluation:
Again, I must admit, I rarely read romance novels, but this title actually kept me going. What I thought looked like another regurgitation of humans falling in love with demons, this story took me surprise. What readers will enjoy is Daphne's transformation. In the beginning, she really did not understand love and selflessness until she met Truman. Moreover, the relationship between her and her brother, Obie, is the catalyst to a series of changes because it is through him that she learns that there is more to life than what we are given. In fact, Yovanoff uses demons as an example that love is  not limited to human beings, but to all sentient beings that feel something special for one another. What really caught me off guard it that this story provides a very different picture of Lucifer and Lilith. I didn't really expect to read anything positive, or enlightening, about their characters, but readers will be surprised when they learned that even the King of Hell and the Mother of all Demons, share a weakness: love. The Space Between is a very heart-wrenching tale where a human and a demon learn a very important lesson, which I am totally going to steal from the movie Moulin Rouge: "The greatest thing to learn is just to love and be loved in return."


Information about the Author:
According to her website, Brenna Yovanoff:

I’m good at soccer, violent video games, and making very flaky pie pastry.

I’m bad at dancing, making decisions, and inspiring confidence as an authority figure. I suspect this is because I am short, and also terrible at sounding as though I have any idea what I’m talking about.

I was homeschooled until I was fifteen, which has probably affected my world view in ways I can’t fathom.

Also, I really, really like parentheses. (Really.)

On this site, you’ll find information about my books, answers to questions, and links to things I like. If you want to know more, you can check out my blog, where I frequently talk about zombies, high school, and dessert.

Genre:
Teen Chick Lit


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 10 & up


Books Similar to The Space Between:

• Shiver by Maggie Steifvater
• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

 Awards & Recognition:

•  Starred Review from Publisher's Weekly (9/26/2011)