All Good Children - Catherine Austen

Publisher:  Orca Books
Pages:  312
Source:  I won a copy from LibraryThin
Genre:  Young Adult, dystopian

Product Description from Amazon:

It's the middle of the twenty-first century and the elite children of New Middletown are lined up to receive a treatment that turns them into obedient, well-mannered citizens. Maxwell Connors, a seventeen-year-old prankster, misfit and graffiti artist, observes the changes with growing concern, especially when his younger sister, Ally, is targeted. Max and his best friend, Dallas, escape the treatment, but must pretend to be "zombies" while they watch their freedoms and hopes decay. When Max's family decides to take Dallas with them into the unknown world beyond New Middletown's borders, Max's creativity becomes an unexpected bonus rather than a liability.

My thoughts:

In the town of New Middletown things aren't what they seem.  Th children have undergone "The New Education Support Treatment".  Now the kids are obedient.  If I can say this, they are too obedient".  My husband laughed when I told him I had a few students that could use a little bit of the treatment..  Max comes across as quite rebellious at times.  I was reminded (due to my advanced age) of the movie "The Stepford Wives".  If you are too young to remember this movie then I would suggest you look it up.  In this book there is never any doubt how much Max loves his family and the length he will go to just to protect them.  When his mom is threatened with the removal of her kids, major decisions must be made.  It was scar to see the parallel between the government control on schools, education, and families in the book and that of our very own society today.

I would recommend this book to all dystopian lovers.  I think this could hold its own in a competition with some of the most popular dystopian novels today.

Those That Wake - Jesse Karp

Publisher:  Harcourt Children’s Books  March 21, 2011

Pages:  336

Source:  Review copy from Netgalley

Genre:  Young Adult Dystopian

Imagine what it would be like to wake up one day and none of your friends or family members knew you.  In their minds you don’t exist.  You and many others have been completely wiped from their memories.  Why?

Mal has had no family for years.  He’s been in one foster home after another.  He has a brother who has never contacted him, until now.  His brother Tommy needs his help.  Mal would have liked to have had his brother’s help while he was being shipped around after his father died.

Laura has always had it pretty easy.  When she goes to see her parents she is removed by security.  They claim they don’t know her.  She’s wondering what is going on. 

All of their problems take place after “The Big Black”.  Some people claim it was terrorists.  After the Big Black, people are focused only on their technology, specifically their cell phones.  Mal and Laura meet up with two others who must work together to try to figure out what has happened.  They need to find out who is behind wiping them from everyone’s memory and why.  This is a book that has deeper thought provoking issues and one that will stay with you long after you’ve read it.

Student Saturday: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Publisher:  Scholastic
Pages:  384
Genre:  Young Adult, Dystopian

Today's reviewer is my student Jack and this is his review as he wrote it.

I think this is a great book and I was hooked since the first chapter.  I see this love around on TV all the time and I usually hate it.  But, this book makes it really good and doesn't go overboard.  In the book twelve year old Prim is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games, a twenty four person hunt to the death on live TV.  Katniss, her seventeen year old sister volunteers to take her place.  Peeta, someone Katniss knew from childhood is chosen also.  The Hunger Games were designed to keep the twelve districts in line by sacrificing two of their children each year.  Before entering the arena, Peeta announces his love for Katniss on TV.

I think this is a great book and has an ever changing plot that is really good.  This book is definitely dark so think before reading it.  You'll want the sequel, Catching Fire,  but think before reading it because you'll really want the final book Mockingjay and it is REALLY dark.

A New Dystopian Blog

While checking in on Writer Musing's Blog I came across a post about a new Dystopian blog.  They blog all things dystopian.  It is run by four authors who have debut dystopian novels coming out next year. Check out the site run by:  Beth Revis, Julia Karr, Angie Smibert and Jeff Hirsch.  Some very thought provoking posts for such a newbie.  If you are a lover of things dystopian this is a must.

Check out The League of Extraordinary Writers

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

I just completed the book The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. I read it straight through. I love zombie movies but this book beat them all. The story is of a post apocalyptic society that exists inside a fenced in area. Outside of the fences live the unconsecrated. They have died of an unknown, uncurable infections that causes a quick death and then they return as the undead. This is the story of a young girl told stories by her mother of a life outside of the fences. When her mother is infected a series of events occur that take her, her brother and several friends on a journey to find the ocean. This is a book that I highly recommend to everyone. It will definately keep you on the edge of your seat.

Hunger Games

I have just finished the book Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. What a great book. I had a student ask me yesterday what I was reading so I gave himself a brief synopsis. I told him I would be finished with the book by the next day. He stood by my desk today as I read the last four pages so he could be sure to be the next one to check it out from me and read it.

Imagine the U.S. as we know it is gone, and our nation has been divided into twelve districts. Some much poorer than others. The government has a sick way of entertaining the nation. Once a year they hold the "Hunger Games". Children between the ages of twelve and eighteen have their name put into a bowl each year. A boy and girl "tribute" are chosen to play these games. They are wisked away to the Capitol in Colorado where they are treated like royalty, trained and then sent into the arena to fight to the death. The whole thing is televised for the districts to see. Those who are rich make bets on their favorite player based on how well they do in the arena and how popular they become. Each district can purchase gifts for their tributes to help them. This can be food, medicine or anything else they think they need or deserve.

I was apalled to think that the government would think that this was good entertainment. They thought so little of their people that they were willing to sacrifice 23 of them every year in the name of entertainment. If the killing was not moving along fast enough then the gamekeepers would do something to escalate it. I loved all of the characters. The main character Katniss was one that at times seemed clueless and at other times seemed like she was on top of the game. Peeta, the male tribute from her district has been in love with Katniss for years. She on the other hand has a very close male friend back home that she doesn't exactly consider a boyfriend, but thinks of as more than just a good friend. You can tell she is fond of Peeta. At times she seems like she may be falling in love with him and then she pulls away emotionally. The angle of the two of them as star-crossed lovers makes them the popular choice in the games. In the end you don't know if she has feelings for Peeta or not. It leaves enough loose ends to set things up for the second book. I don't know when it will be out, but I will wait with anticipation for its release. I would recommend this book to all of my friends and my students.

Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

I will keep this brief as it has been a long day. My students did sustained silent reading today in class. It gave me the opportunity to start a new book. I am currently reading Hunger Games. It is set in the U.S. after a terrible war that destroyed most of America. The United States is now divided into 12 districts. Each child from the age of 12 - 18 has their name put in to be drawn for the Hunger Games. One boy and one girl represent each district. The idea is, they will be dropped somewhere and must kill each other off. The last person alive is the winner. Most of the people are starving, not allowed to hunt for food, banned from the woods, etc. If you are starving enough you can have your name put in an extra time for each family member and collect oil and grain to sustain you through the year. The main character has her name in twenty times and her younger sister has her name in once. When her younger sister's name is drawn to play the game she volunteers to take her place. I can't wait to finish the book this weekend. From what I have read so far my students are going to love this book.