skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Some ladies might think a world without men would be far more peaceful, but there would be huge changes to the structure of the world without men, and the continuation of the species would be the last thing on everyone's mind. In the first volume of Y: The Last Man, Unmanned, by Brian K. Vaughan, the world loses every male mammal... except two.
Yorick has a smoking hot girlfriend who is currently traipsing around the Outback, but he fully intends on proposing to her. Meanwhile, his mother is trying to hold her own in Congress, and his sister, Hero, is living up to her name as an EMT. Everything seems normal. Normal, until everything isn't. All of a sudden, every man and male mammal in the world dies. Women around the globe watch their fathers, sons, husband, friends, coworkers, etc. drop dead in front of their eyes. Everyone, that is, except Yorick. A borderline agoraphobic, Yorick doesn't really leave his apartment. He offered to train a service monkey to help handicapped people, but so far the only thing he has accomplished is ducking when Ampersand flings his poo at Yorick's head.
Yorick is a goofball, and certainly not anyone's idea of the epitome of the last man on earth, but he is all the human race has left. With all the men gone, the women have had to step in, but none can agree on how to run things. The Amazons believe the plague was the world's savior, and try to eliminate all chances of a baby boy ever being born. The few remaining members of Congress are trying to hold things together, but the wives of prominent Republicans don't agree with how they "took over the government." Meanwhile, there are millions of bodies of men just rotting in offices and apartments that have to be incinerated. The world has gone to hell in a handbag, and Yorick is the last hope for mankind?!
First of all, I have read this series before. It was quite some time ago, and I loved it so much, I certainly did not take my time to savor it. After having finished all of Vaughan's Saga so far, I needed more of his genius, so I decided to reread this series, and I am so glad I did. It really is brilliant. First of all, Yorick is awesome. He is a total screw-up, but you won't be able to resist his delightful, scampish charm! Seriously. Yorick is absurd and fabulous all in one, and I just LOVE him SO much! So, the idea that this knucklehead is the last man on earth makes this series even more spectacular.
Add to that the great illustrations (not as stunning as Saga, but pretty darned good) and an incredible story line, and you have yourself one winning graphic novel series here. My only regret for purchasing these is that I couldn't control myself and wait for the hardcovers, because I imagine I will be rereading this series frequently. This volume is the basic backstory leading up to the death of all men, and the beginning of Yorick's travels. It will give you a good snapshot of the world without men, but it doesn't get to the heart of the story... for that you need Volume 2!!
When the monsters are trying to save the world from other monsters, you know the world has gone to hell in a handbag. In the stunning conclusion to Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series, The Forever Song, the very monsters who were responsible for the end of the world are trying to save the world.
Allie and her sire, Kanin, and her brother, Jackal, are going to kill a Master Vampire. Sarren has created a plague that will completely destroy the world, even more so than Rabidism did. In his sick mind, Sarren thinks he is doing the world a favor by ridding it of all humans and vampires alike. While the illness must be stopped, the trail of carnage Sarren is leaving in his wake just to torment Allie, Jackal, and Kanin is all the more reason to destroy him. He doesn't just kill people for food, he likes to play with his food.
When they get to Jackal's old city, they are in for a surprise none of them could have predicted. Allie is still grieving the loss of Zeke, and she will only start to heal when she sees Sarren beheaded. When they enter old Chicago, Allie was more surprised than anyone to see what Sarren left her: Zeke, fully vamped and with a mind as warped as Sarren's. Meanwhile, Sarren is headed to the sanctuary, Eden, to fulfill his deepest desires in the most twisted way possible. They know what they have to do, but doing it before Sarren leaves more bloody corpses in his wake is unlikely.
Allie has always been an amazing character, and her grief over the loss of Zeke was palpable. It made her hunt for Sarren so much deeper and darker, that this story certainly had a different feel to it. When she found him and Sarren had made him into a monster, I have to say it was predictable, but I was still stunned by it. I knew it was coming (and I am usually easily duped by plot twists), but somehow that just didn't matter. I think that has a lot to do with Kagawa writes. Allie was so upset and devastated that you couldn't help but understand how she was feeling. And it really solidified how deeply psychotic Sarren was, making the hunt for him all that more important.
This was such a different kind of vampire story, that I think the preteen Twilight fans would have a tough time liking it at first, because they would be expecting Edward and Bella and instead get a little more Sid and Nancy. This is darker and creepier, but the characters and the story are so well-crafted, I hope they would eventually get over their preconceived notions and get sucked into this story. It is certainly more gruesome and bloody, so choose your audience accordingly. Kagawa is quite the master of her craft, so I can't wait to read the new series, Talon!
When the world officially falls apart thanks to a virus that originated on an island and couldn't be quarantined. Despite everyone's best efforts for a cure, the only tried and true vaccine was developed on the same island where the virus originated. Now a group of kids are the last hope to get it to the CDC in order to save what's left of their world.
Kaelyn never imagined she would hold the hope of saving the world in her hands. Then again, she never imagined she would watch the people she loved get sick, go mad, and die, either. When her dad died, she assumed the responsibility to get the cure to a place where it could be mass-produced and distributed, but the journey is far from easy. While Kaelyn and her friend Leo are vaccinated, no one else in the group is safe from the virus, including her boyfriend. Without an immunity, Kae's group finds itself with two infected members. Knowing how the virus plays out, they don't think they will ever make it all the way to the CDC in Atlanta.
It doesn't help that there is a gang of malicious, greedy thugs on their tail, either. The Wardens, sent by Michael, their leader, are determined to get the vaccine. Michael has created a group who aren't afraid to profit from the apocalypse, and if they get the vaccine, it will only get to the highest bidders. The group knows their mission is a life or death journey, but the true magnitude of how many lives they hold in their hands with the vaccine is almost too much for a group of teenagers to handle. The only thing that keeps them going is a duty to everything they have lost in this whirlwind apocalypse.
When it comes to the apocalypse, we all know it is going to get ugly, but how ugly should we make it in a young adult novel? Authors like Mike Mullin, Michael Grant, and Lex Thomas show the dirty, ugly side of things with all its grit and grime and don't hide anything from the audience. Then there are authors who can tell the story without getting too graphic, like Mindy McGinnis or Emmy Laybourne. It isn't that they are hiding the grit, they just have a knack for tip toeing around the big, bad and ugly. Everything is behind the black curtain or the "fade to black" where the other authors lay it all out, clear as day. Neither approach is bad, they are just very different, but the thing I like about having both options is that I can get different types and ages of kids to read the same kind of stories while still finding one that is developmentally appropriate for my student. For this series, I have to say Crewe decided to keep the ugly side of humanity behind the curtain and leave it up to the reader's imagination.
For this reason, I really like this story for those younger students who may have liked the dystopias out in the genre right now but aren't really mature enough to handle the graphic side of post-apocalyptic stories. I could give this to a middle school student and they would see one layer, or an older student and they would see a deeper layer. I don't have to worry about situations being too mature or too graphic for a younger student. The story itself was really interesting and would hold the attention of any reader, and Kaelyn is a determined, strong young woman to read about. I was impressed with this trilogy and look forward to more from Crewe!
When the power goes out for a few days, we get a real taste for how dependent we are on our technology, but if all technology crashed... and there was no end in sight? Then we would really witness just how thin our veneer of civilization truly is. In Eric Walters' The Rule of Three, suburban America gets a makeover it never asked for.
When Adam's school releases the students after a power failure, he hops into his old jalopy to pick up his kid brother and sister. It starts right up (which is a miracle), but as he scans around the parking lot, he sees a lot of cars that won't start. In fact, all the new, computerized cars are completely dead. When he gets home, he is surprised to find the entire neighborhood without any power- even cellphones, laptops, cars, etc. that should run in a blackout are down. When his neighbor, Herb, comes to his house, he is skeptical of Herb's need for an emergency trip to the pool store... especially since Herb doesn't even have a pool! Quickly, however, Herb's decision to stockpile chlorine tablets becomes the start of a whole new way of living: pure survival.
As the local police captain, Adam's mother has a lot more responsibility on her shoulders than the rest of the neighborhood, but her trust in Herb, even if she doesn't fully know the extent of his involvement in the government before his retirement, gives her the opportunity to take care of her precinct knowing her kids are safe at home. Herb knows things are going to get ugly, though. And fast. When he starts sharing more and more of his useful knowledge about how to protect themselves and prepare for longterm survival, not everyone is comfortable with his decisions. What they can't deny, however, is just how different their world has become. And in a ruthless world like this, there are tough decisions to be made if anyone is going to survive.
I read a couple of reviews of this book after I finished it, and I was actually surprised so many people thought it was so derivative. Yes, I mean, we can't deny the deluge of disaster books out there anymore than we can deny the existence of a bazillion supernatural tales on the shelves, but still, I thought this was a really good book with some key surprises that made it even better than I originally thought it was going to be. For instance, Herb is your typical ex-"Black Ops" (or so they assume- he never tells!) government retiree who just happens to know how to survive a disaster. Convenient? Yep. Stereotypical? You would think so, but there is more to Herb than meets the eye. Instead, he is actually very keen on negotiations and finding ways to defuse the situation in a way that is mutually beneficial for everyone. In addition, he is willing to admit his notions might not be the best way. Even though he knows survival, he is willing to admit the cold heartless reality of their new world can truly be mitigated by friendship and a sense of community. And all that comes from his time with Adam. Usually you have the youngster learn from the old, wise man, but here we really see a shift in who Herb is as well, and that is pretty unique.
I actually really enjoyed this story of the new apocalypse and survival, but there were some obvious plot holes that weren't fully explored. I did a little research and realized there is going to be a sequel, so I am looking forward to the caulk that takes care of these holes (like Adam's dad). Still, the story itself is pretty good in a league of many of its kind. Adam is an interesting kid who transitions just enough while not losing the type of person he was before the disaster, and Herb is a fascinating character. Since the story ends in a way that leaves you hanging and a little perturbed, I am grateful for the upcoming sequel! Adam and Herb's story isn't over, and I can't wait to see where this technology-less world takes them!
When you are in a book slump, you need something exciting to really grab you and force you to plow through with the excitement and enthusiasm you are struggling to find in other books. For me, The Living by Matt de la Pena was just that book. Need a little excitement in your life? Look no further! This will grab you like a tsunami, and won't let go until its ready.
Shy took the job on the cruise line to make some money this summer. His mother was worried about him, but how much could go wrong on a cruise ship? Besides, with the Romero virus going around, home wasn't so safe either. Having watched his grandmother succumb to the disease, he doesn't think he could watch someone he loves go through that again. Life on the cruise ship isn't so bad. You work a lot catering to the ridiculously wealthy, but most are nice enough. When a strange man throws himself off the side of the boat, Shy is the one who tries to save the man. But after a cryptic "death bed confession", Shy loses the man to the sea. Now, a few weeks later, a strange man is on the new cruise and everyone keeps telling Shy the man is looking for him. Shy can only avoid him for so long. Especially when he has no idea what the man would want from a simple poor kid from California on the Mexican border.
When word gets around that something catastrophic has happened to the US, Shy can't imagine the state of devastation his home is in. An earthquake like no other ravaged the West Coast and has left most of the states of California, Oregon, and Washington completely devastated. Everyone on the ship is reeling from the news, but they have no idea what is about to come their way. With an earthquake that close to the coast, a tsunami is bound to be close on its heals. Cruise ships are built to withstand incredible storms, but this might just be the monster that pushes it to the limit. There are a lot of people on the boat Shy cares about, but when it comes to life and death, it is amazing the choices a person will have to make.
Sometimes a book that runs at this break-neck pace is too fast for you. When you are in a book slump like I was, or if you are looking for a book for a student who gets "bored" too quickly, this is a perfect choice. In hindsight, the story had a LOT of different elements that seemed almost too much: the virus, the earthquake, the tsunami, the island, the lost at sea. Any one or two could have made for a great story, but all together it can be a bit overwhelming. Still, I was totally in the mood for this kind of story. I needed a book where every single page was stuffed with intrigue and action. And I got it with The Living! This was truly an action-packed story, and it was exactly the medicine I needed to pull me out of my book slump.
Shy is a really great main character. He is just a good kid, a normal kid. He loves his family. He mourns the loss of his grandmother and worries about the rest of his family and the virus. It is also great to see more and more diversity in YA lit. There have been a lot of articles lately about the "white washing" of YA lit, so I am always happy when I see diversity effortlessly injected into the genre. We want our YA lit to reflect its readers who are diverse themselves! I really enjoyed Shy's character, the break-neck pace of the story, and everything about it. The one this I didn't enjoy is knowing I am going to have to wait a year to read the next book. It really left us on a cliffhanger and I don't know how long I can wait to see where the story goes! This is an excellent book for a struggling, mature reader who has never finished a book. Have a student who claims they hate reading because its "boring"? Pick up The Living. I promise you they won't be bored!
Before there was a maze, there was a world torn apart by wars and environmental disaster. The world fell apart with a bang, but a few lone souls tried to cling to the people they found and loved thanks to circumstance. In The Kill Order, James Dashner told us the tale of life before the maze.
Mark and Trina were lucky enough to be in the subway when the flares began. Uncontrollable and completely devastating flares tore through the world, destroying everything unlucky enough to be in their wake. They know something is happening, but aren't sure what to do. When attacked by a group of homeless men, they have the incredible luck of being found by Alec, an ex-military survivalist who knows what is happening and how to survive it. But if they don't listen to him quickly, they too will be swept away and drowned by the incoming flash flooding and tsunami caused by the immediate destruction of the ice caps. But there are worse things out there than the sun and the water. Worse by far.
It isn't easy, but the group survives getting out of the city... most of the group anyway. While life isn't easy, it is survivable. They even have some semblance of life in their ramshackle civilization. But they were naive to think they could survive undisturbed. Out in the world are terrors far beyond anything Trina, Mark, and Alec have seen so far, they just didn't think they would be battling those terrors so soon and all at once. Together they hope they can fight through the onslaught, but there are far more dangerous things out there than they expected. And those dangers are around every single corner.
The thing to know about this prequel is that it really doesn't ever tell the early story of Thomas and Theresa. This story goes way back to tell how the world got so desperate, and it does a pretty good job of that! The problem here is that as a prequel, some people would choose to start the series here. Earliest chronologically must be the first read, right? Wrong! Don't do it! The Maze Runner is so amazing it, and the two subsequent books, should be read first. If you were to read this prequel first, you would lose the desperation of the world years later as well as find yourself totally lost by the time you get to The Maze Runner.
I did think this story was interesting, but it wasn't completely necessary. I would rather have had more of the story of Thomas and Theresa instead of little snippets from the prologue and epilogue, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. It almost seemed like this story should have been its own series that ends with the start of the maze because there is a huge gap between the end of this story and the beginning of the maze. I think this might have been an afterthought from Dashner, but it worked. I would give this prequel to a student who read the rest of the series, but I wouldn't give it to anyone as a stand-alone even though it is so disjointed from the original series. There is, of course, a decent amount of terror and violence, but nothing more so than the original series. Still, I would love to see the gap between the two parts of the series closed with more of the story!
The experts say we are ready for a pandemic of epic proportions, but we have never really understood what that means in terms of the collapse of society and survival. How many of us could really live through the apocalypse? In Amber Kizer's A Matter of Days, two brave kids set out to travel across the country in the wake of the most devastating pandemic the world has ever seen.
Nadia and Rabbit weren't raised like other kids. With their uncle and father teaching them survival tips all their life, their crazy, off-the-grid grandfather, and their nurse mother, they have picked up a few tricks over the years. When their Uncle Bean comes to Seattle and gives them injections, they know something is about to happen. A scientist from the most secret of government labs, Bean knew BluStar was going to decimate the population. He also knew the vaccine to stop it. He left them with an injection for their mother and instructions of what to do should the pandemic begin, and the rest would have to be up to them.
After BluStar took down the world, Nadia and Rabbit followed Beans instructions. It wasn't enough to save their mother, but they managed to make it through the virus, the mass exodus, and the mass extinction. Now that the virus has run its course, they must continue as the direction tell them, to make their way from Seattle to the wilds of West Virginia where their grandfather has been building a place to survive anything in the heart of an old mine. It all sounds so simple, but with society all but gone, gangs of marauders, and people who have totally lost their minds following the end of the world as they know it, making it across the entire country seems almost impossible. Still, Nadia and Rabbit know what they must do and where they must go, and nothing can stop them. Even the supreme kindness of strangers.
I love apocalypse stories. Love them. The Stand is one of my all time favorites, and this book reminded me of the YA version of The Stand or Earth Abides (without Stephen King's mysticism, of course). The idea of being left alone int he world with so little of the population surviving is terrifying, but I can't get enough of it! So this story had a lot to live up to (and I was pleasantly surprised to read the fabulous author's note at the end of the book and learn Kizer was a huge fan of The Stand as a kid!). And A Matter of Days held its own next to those giants! It was, of course, a YA version- less ugly, gruesome, and gritty. But it was still a great story of a brother and sister left to fend for themselves. It wasn't as gritty as Mike Mullin's Ashfall, but it was still a fabulous story!
I also loved that we FINALLY have a couple of characters in an apocalypse story who know what they are talking about (and Rabbit names their found dog TEOTWAWKI, TWAWKI for short- "The End of the World As We Know It"!!). These kids didn't know everything about survival, but Bean had left them with fabulous instructions and with books for survival. With everything their Special Ops father had taught them before he was killed in action, they had enough to make it as far as they did. I loved the fact that these kids were the product of standard preppers (not the type who get a little carried away with it). It was a fabulous twist, and one I have been waiting for throughout years of reading this genre! I mean, really, do you think there would be a zombie apocalypse in 2013 and not one single person who survived would have watched or read The Walking Dead?? So silly! A few people who know what to do are going to certainly survive, but so are some who want to prey on those unwilling or unprepared to defend themselves. And then there will be some purely decent people, and I am really glad this book had a little bit of everything- it made it a tame but realistic PA novel that I really enjoyed!
I actually read this book in one complete sitting (barring water and bathroom breaks). It was so well paced and so interesting I couldn't bring myself to put it down. I really related to all the main characters, even though they were so different from one another. Because this is a fairly tame PA story, it would be great for most junior high through high school students. The writing is fairly simple and the style is straightforward. I think this would be a fun book for a variety of readers, including those adults who love PA! So, Ms. Kizer, please give us more like this! I loved it!
What would you be doing when the world as you knew it came to an end? Most likely something simple, mundane, or every day. In Demitria Lunetta's phenomenal breakout novel, In the After, the world crashes to a halt. And everything outside wants to eat you.
Amy was watching TV and eating bagel pizzas when it happened. She was annoyed when the show she was watching was interrupted by a Presidential address, but then she realized something was seriously wrong. Luckily, her prepper mother and her greenie father created the perfect fortress around their suburban Chicago home. Complete with an electric fence powered by her father's solar panels, Amy is able to survive without Them finding a way in. Outside is a different story. With the aliens roaming the entire country just waiting for their next meal to tear apart with their claws and teeth, the sickly green skin is the last thing you have to worry about. But food runs low and outside is the only place to get it. Amy barely survives her first venture outside, but she gets better. Still, as adept as she is at sneaking in and out of her protective fence, the last thing she expects to find is a toddler.
She considers leaving the child for fear of any sound alerting the aliens with their insanely sensitive hearing, but she just can't bring herself to be alone anymore. And it quickly becomes clear that the child knows to be silent. Once home, Baby and Amy develop a bond that could not be any closer even if they were full-blooded sisters. Complete with their own version of sign language to communicate without sending aliens crashing into their fence, they develop a semi-normal life together. As normal as you can be in a world surrounded by savage, flesh-eating aliens. But then it all changes. Forced to escape their stronghold, Baby and Amy are on the run, and when they are captured by a spaceship, the last thing they expect is to be rescued. Once they arrive at New Hope, the compound that considers itself the cradle for a new chance at civilization, Amy realizes there may be as many monsters inside New Hope as there were outside. Only these monsters don't look like aliens.
Holy crap, Batman! I picked up this book last night and was so enthralled by this story, I couldn't put it down until I fell asleep on it (drooling probably). This book just instantly grabbed me with fangs and claws and wouldn't let me go! I am serious. I read a LOT of YA and a whole lot of PA, but this book? Scared the crap right out of me! Those aliens were some terrifying kind of zombie/extra-terrestrial mix that is quite possibly the only thing that could scare me more than your typical, run-of-the-mill zombies. I mean, these things are green for goodness sake! There is a whole twisted backstory involving the aliens that will leave you gaping in shock and awe, but I don't want to give away too much- you deserve to have the same crazy experience of finding it all out on your own!
I really liked Amy, too. She was your typical bratty know-it-all (self-professed) who just happens to survive. She shouldn't have, but her fortres of a home kept her safe. I love her transformation that makes her a survivor BUT doesn't completely change her! It was fabulous! When she arrived at New Hope, she knew there was something fishy about the place, and she had no intention of sitting idly by as the director led a whole different behind-the-scenes kind of compound kept top-secret from the rest of the people living their in ignorant bliss... even if that meant risking her own life. Amy was awesome. She was tender, motherly, and yet she was a butt-kickin' lady who at the tender age of sixteen had no qualms about standing up against or exposing the wrongs in this false utopia. I loved it!
And who should read this? Oh boy. I could give this to any student who needs a gripping story to keep them interested (just not the scaredy cats. Think green, fang-filled nightmares and monsters under the bed). Give this story to any boy who struggles to find an interesting book, and I promise you, a reader this story will make! In fact, it was such a great, crazy fright train of a story that I already emailed the mother of one of my students to give her the title as one of his summer reading books. Seriously. Adults who like horror stories and apocalyptic stories will love this book. Young adults will love this book. Everyone who picks it up will love this book! So what are you waiting for? It's time for you to find yourself In the After.
When a virus takes over, it is only natural to assume the Powers that Be would be developing a vaccine or a treatment to stop the pandemic. People trust the government will save them. But a virus that collapsed all the governing powers is going to squash any hope of finding a cure as well. In the second book of Megan Crewe's The Fallen Worlds Trilogy, Kaelyn has the weight of the world on her shoulders. In The Lives We Lost, the hope of a cure lies in the hands of an orphaned teenage girl.
Kae isn't in the mood for celebrating her birthday with everything that has happened to them. When she grabs her father's coat, the only thing that still smells like him, she discovers the key she has been looking for desperately: the key to his lab where he was trying to develop a cure. When she goes to the lab, she finds 5 vials of a vaccine her father was convinced would work, and as the first guinea pig, it seemed to be protecting him. With the vaccine in tow, Kae convinces Gav to trek with her to Ottawa in search of government scientists who can replicate the vaccine and save the world. What they don't expect are military helicopters to descend on the island in order to destroy what they believe is the epicenter of the pandemic. When a lone soldier speeds up to the dock to save them, Kae piles everyone in to race across the straight to the mainland. Now they are forced to begin their journey with more than they had expected and even with a kid in tow.
But life on the mainland has changed. Leo tried to warn them about what it was like in a world where everyone was scared of dying, people were freezing to death, and starvation was imminent, but Kae is determined to save people with her vaccine. She uses 2 of the vials to vaccinate her little cousin Meredith and Leo, but Gav refuses to use one of the precious vaccines on himself. As they get further into the mainland, however, it becomes clear the virus isn't the only thing they have to worry about. When Meredith tells a group of hostile strangers about the vaccine, the group finds themselves dodging the murderous gang all across Canada. There are a lot of people who would love to save themselves with the few vaccines instead of save the world, but a few brave teens know the right thing to do, even if it kills them.
There is a lot about this book, the group of teens tracking across the countryside, the snow, the food, etc. that reminds me of Ashfall by Mike Mullin, but this story is much less mature than Mullin's series. That isn't to say it isn't a good story, but if you have read some of the more gritty and mature versions of this story, this one won't be as exciting. There were quite a few instances where I wanted to just smack the kids as they announced their possession of a vaccine, got in arguments with people on the street, and trusted people WAY too easily, but I imagine there are a lot of naive young adults out there who would fall into the same traps (although letting your little cousin announce you have a vaccine is quite possibly the stupidest thing you could ever do). I wanted them to maintain a lower profile, but they seemed hell-bent on walking in and announcing their presence with every step. It was maddening at times.
Even with the lack of maturity, this was a fun story. It's mild nature would make it great for a younger reader who was new to the post-apocalyptic genre, but it would probably be too immature for a reader who had finished a story like Ashfall. I would give it to your stronger middle school readers, and it would be really interesting to see how many of those kids would find the actions of the book's characters to be childish as I did. Maybe they wouldn't even notice! But, Crewe did a pretty good job, and I will definitely be coming back to the third book to see the final leg of their journey.
The Amish Life, or Plain Folk Life, is somewhat of a mystery in a world controlled by technology. We can't even step outside our doors in the morning without our automatic coffee makers, iPhones, checking our email, and hopping into our cars. So how do people live and thrive in the modern world without those things? In The Hallowed Ones, Laura Bickle's breakout novel, all you need is a little faith.
Katie is ready for Rumspringa, the Amish tradition of allowing their children to experience the English world before making the decision to become baptized and adopt Plain life. She loves her family and her life, but she can't help but think there is more out there. When something goes horribly awry in the English world, the Elders decide to shut the gates to the outside world permanently: no one in and no one out. This is hardest for the people who have family on the outside, but Elijah, the boy Katie can imagine herself marrying someday, takes it the hardest. His two younger brothers are outside, and he insists on finding them. He and Katie go to town only to find bloody remnants and a destroyed, empty town, but they never find the boys. It is clear something has happened, but they have no idea what could have erased an entire town.
When Katie finds a stranger, and Englishman, just outside the gates, she calls upon the Elders. They decide to uphold their decree that the gates were sealed, and even consider shooting the man, but Katie stops them. She invokes their sense of faith which says God decides when it is time to leave the earth, not a man with a gun. They intend on leaving the man outside the gate to die, but Katie wouldn't be able to live with herself. Once she has him secure in a barn, she realizes he needs medicine, and the Amish don't have antibiotics. She decides to break the rules and sneak into town for medicine. She finds what she needs, but she also stumbles upon the cause of all the destruction: the undead vampires that have turned the English into cattle. Barely making it home, Katie must now find a way to save her people, but how to you convince someone to believe in vampires and protect against them when they don't even believe in using a car?
I thought this was a simple Amish story when I picked it up, but a crazy apocalyptic Amish vampire story? I NEVER would have thought of that!! Talk about an original idea- I mean, seriously, Ms. Bickle, where did you come UP with such a story? And with so many odd things thrown together, there was a dangerous chance the story would end up incongruous or just plain weird, but that wasn't the case- instead it was terrifying and addictive. I couldn't put it down!! And here is the thing I loved about it: I loved that it was a snapshot of typical Amish life while also being a spooky supernatural story. I really came to understand the fictionalized Amish town through this story, and the culture is so fascinating, I wanted more!
Katie is also an incredibly interesting character to follow. She is torn about her faith, and that is the basis of the entire story. But when push comes to shove, I love that her very own faith in her God and her beliefs, the very ones she has questioned, are what saved her. She knows the limits of pure faith, but is also a spitfire who will never give up on survival. It was a fascinating combination in one character, and it kept me from putting the book down until I had devoured it! And the vampires? Let's just say there are no sparkly vampires in this neck of the woods. These are some creepy monsters that will give you nightmares for sure! So, are you looking for something fresh and original? Then pick up The Hallowed Ones. I guarantee there isn't another story like it out there!!
When the plague took over, humans did everything they could to stop it... even if it meant using vampires like lab rats to develop a cure. When that cure turned out to be the cause of Rabidism, a mutated vampiric virus that made humans into unstoppable monsters, the humans now needed the vampires to protect them. In The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa, the tables have turned once again.
Kanin turned Alli into a vampire, the one creature she detested most. But when the choice is vampire or death, it is amazing what we will become to save our own lives. But Alli wasn't your typical vampire. She may have battled the Hunger like other vampires, but she didn't want to hurt anyone. And a boy she met by chance was the closest connection to her human side. Unfortunately, once he found out she was a vampire, it didn't matter that she was the one who protected him and his family and delivered them to Eden, the vampire-free sanctuary. She was the vampire who endangered Zeke's family by bringing another vampire after them.
But Kanin has been kidnapped by the crazy Master vampire, Sarren, and Alli feels she owes it to him to save him from whatever Sarren plans to do. Along her travels, she stumbles upon Jackal, another of Kanin's children, who is also concerned about Sarren, but for a very different reason. Sarren is thought to be searching for the labs that created Rabidism. At first, they are convinced he planned to destroy any hope for a cure, but then their realization of his true intentions comes to light... and it is even scarier that the lack of a cure. Now Alli and Jackal must find a way to work together to hunt for Sarren, recover Kanin, and stop the Mad Hatter of vampires from total annihilation of the world. Because there is only one thing worse than the Rabidism virus: a bigger, badder virus.
If anyone tells you there are no more original vampire stories out there, tell them to check out Kagawa and Fukuda. If they don't think those are fabulously unique, fresh stories, you tell them they are just trying to be difficult. The Blood of Eden series is not only a great vampire story, it is an awesome story all the way around. Not only do you have truly deep characters like Alli, Zeke, and Jackal, you also have a plot that grabs you by the unmentionables and doesn't let go! For me, Alli is a fabulous character, not just because she is still holding onto her humanity (which others see as naive), but because she wants that humanity to define her. She doesn't want to become a cold, heartless vampire, and her will to hang onto her humanity is hard to deny. In fact, it changes everyone around her. I love this character's will to be a "good person" and the effect it has on the other characters. In a desolate wasteland, people should only be thinking about survival, but she sparks something deeper in even the worst of the worst, even in Jackal. A character like this is a great role model for a reader. While they might only be thinking about the vampires and the battles, there is something deeper that is unconsciously internalized- we are who we want to be. I love that lesson, especially for teens who struggle to find their place in the world for years.
But the story is too fabulous to take a back burner. It is so incredibly exciting, and I could barely put it down. There are twists and turns so novel, I have to go back and reread to be sure I got it right! It is hard to make a story of hope in a barren wasteland patrolled by monsters, but Kagawa does with her magical storytelling. She knows how to craft a story that will hold you in rapt attention and spit you out on the other side, rumpled and tired from reading all night. So don't be afraid to give this to a student who needs an exciting story to hold their attention, or even an adult reader who is looking for an exciting story. This series has it all in spades. It has a brilliant and it will keep you chomping at the bit to get the next book (cheesy pun totally intended!!).
In the final book of the Riders of the Apocalypse series, Jackie Morse Kessler writes about the final horseman, the Pale Rider... Death. And Death has been having a very difficult time lately. In Breath, he contemplates the most final act he can ever choose- his own death.
Death never gets a day of rest. The job is continuous, exhausting, and there is never a day of relief. As he visits his riders, especially War, his handmaiden and companion, he realizes there is nothing to compel him to keep going with this interminable life. Death is suicidal. Of course, that means if Death goes, the entire world goes along with him. It signals the end of the world, the beginning of the apocalypse. Death is not human, but that doesn't mean he doesn't experience emotions like the people he guides and works with. But there is one piece of unfinished business... a boy and a chocolate bar.
Xander's biggest worry in life is finally telling Riley he is in love with her. He has been trying to tell her for years, but he can't find a way to get the words out. But when Death arrives on his balcony, he has a lot more to worry about. As the boy who gifted Death with a chocolate bar, he is the young man whom Death owes. But the story is more complex than a simple debt, and when Xander realizes Death's suicidal tendencies, he knows he must do something to stop the end of the world. And sometimes, all people need is someone to really listen to them.
I am not sure how to really express my feelings for this final book in this series. I loved the first and second book. They were raw and gritty and phenomenal. Then came the third book. It wasn't as powerful as the first two, but it was OK. All three had serious situations, the characters had a lot of soul searching to do, and that is what made the books simply amazing. But this book lost the situations and focused solely on the soul searching, and honestly? It got a little old for me. I can't say I disliked the book, but I can definitely say it wasn't my favorite. That doesn't mean it didn't end the series fairly well, but I expected more from Kessler, especially after her first two books were so controversial and REAL.
But still, this isn't a bad series. I think the first two books are the best, but it is important to know this book can't be read without having read the beginning of the series. You just won't understand all the dynamics between Death and the Riders. I love the idea of Death becoming suicidal. It just blows my mind with twists and paradox. How is that possible?? So, there was definitely a redemption out of this story, and if you read the first three books, you simply must read this one too.
When you think of the end of the world as we know it, you certainly don't think of pixies as the cause. But when they are Carrie Jones' man-sized blue pixies with shark teeth and murderous tendencies, I guess you can go with it. In the Need Series' final installment, Endure, Zara and the rest of the crew fight the apocalypse with everything they have.
Now that she has become a pixie queen, Nick won't even look at her. Never mind the fact that she became a pixie to save him from Valhalla when he died and went to the warrior's heaven. But Zara has bigger things to worry about. Her position as Astley's queen bought them some time and loyalty from his pixies, but there are worse pixies out there who have no problem usurping their territory. Now kids are going missing from town and people are fleeing. No one is sure what is really happening, but everyone knows it isn't something easily explained.
Zara knows she is the key to stopping the apocalypse, but the extent to which she must go is not easy to digest. She is torn between her love for Nick and for Astley, but the fate of the world is in her hands. When she realizes there isn't much left to do, she does the unthinkable: she begins training the humans to fight the pixie army. After lifetimes of keeping the pixie secret, you would think it would be hard for humans to accept the new boundaries on their world, but with all the crazy things they have witnessed, they are willing to accept anything if it gets them their world back. Even pixies.
Ahhhh. The infamous love triangle. Always life or death, always seemingly unsolvable, and always "undeniable, over-the-moon, love-like-no-other" love that crushes the soul and takes no prisoners. And how convenient that this love triangle is possible with inexperienced teenagers?! (ok, Astley isn't your average teenager...) I don't know why I am ranting about the love triangle in this series since it has existed from the very beginning... No, that's a fib. I do know why. I have a tough time understanding the "OOhhh I love him. No, scratch that, I love the other one. Oh woe is me, they are both beautiful with soul crushing eyes and I can't choose from the two men who love me to the point of obsession!" I have a particularly hard time understanding that IN THE FACE OF AN APOCALYPSE! If the world is falling down around you and you are a key player in the apocalypse, why exactly are you pining over guys? Knock it off girlfriend! Pull yourself together, save the darned world, and THEN you can sort out your love life. Not to mention the probability of preventing the apocalypse is pretty slim (unless you are a YA novel, of course. Then it is pretty much a lock), so why waste your time on this now when you are all most likely going to die anyway?!
But despite the absurd love triangle nonsense, I actually really like this series and really like how it concluded. The books are compact and exciting and appeal to a decent range of kids. I like Carrie Jones as an author, and this series is a good representation of her talent. Plus, blue, shark-toothed pixies? How can you not want to read about them? So if you have followed the Need series, you will be happy with this conclusion. But just be careful, the love triangles are contagious!
