A Final Champion

June and Day were born on opposite ends of the social spectrum, but they were drawn to each other. They have made sacrifices to save their country, and now that it is officially on the brink of complete destruction, they must sacrifice even more in Champion, Marie Lu's conclusion to the Legend series. 

They haven't seen each other. June has been elected the Princeps Elect. She is loyal to Anden, who carries the weight of his father's abuse of power, but is himself a smart and capable leader. But she thinks of Day. Often. Day is a military official. He has accomplished his one goal: Eden is safe. But now Day is the one suffering. With a fast approaching expiration date, Day knows the upcoming peace treaty between the Colonies and the Republic is more important than ever. Each time Day pushes himself too far, he goes to the brink of finally succumbing to what is killing him. But the one person he wants to spend his final moments with doesn't even know he is dying: June. 

Meanwhile, a plague worse than ever before breaks out in the Colonies. While they had a precarious peace with the Republic before, the new illness is violent and deadly, and it has led to a new development. Peace will never be achieved when the Republic sits back and watches the Colonies die. Invasion of the Republic is imminent, but Anden still believes he can find a way to stop everything. If he develops a cure, he can halt the invasion and return to the peace treaty. There is one very big problem. Day's brother Eden is the cure, and Day won't allow anyone to hurt Eden ever again. 

The most interesting part of this series has always been Day and June. In an easier, more cookie-cutter novel, we would see them battling back to back, taking on the world in any way possible. But that is a paint-by-numbers kind of a story, and Lu wants to give you more. Instead, the path Day and June have traveled is bumpy and fraught with secrets and lies. Yet their connection is undeniable. Both have a deep connection to each other, but their duty to their families and their countries are put before their own desires. It was poetic and heartbreaking all at once, and it made this story as un-cookie-cutter as you could get. 

When you have been reading a series since its inception, you have an investment. You want to see an ending the characters deserve and have earned, but you also want the author to surprise you. How can they give you both? Well, Marie Lu found a way. This isn't the conclusion I ever expected, but it was respectful to the losses both Day and June had suffered, and it was a story that did them both, and their relationship, justice. As it began to unfold, I am not going to lie, I was angry. How could you do this to Day and June after everything they have been through?! But it was almost as if Lu was whispering through the pages, "Shhhh. Calm down and have patience." And I did. And it  was fabulous. This is a series young adults and adults alike would love, because Lu has a plan. And it's one heck of a plan!

Body Finder Meets Criminal Minds

Nothing is more terrifying than a serial killer hunting in your back yard. Well, maybe a horde of zombies, but one is more likely than the other. In Jennifer Lynn Barnes' first book of a new series, The Naturals, she explores the desperation of the FBI to catch these brutal hunters, even if it means she has to enlist the help of some kids.

Cassie knows her grandmother loves her, but after her fake-psychic mother was murdered and Cassie was the one to stumble upon the crime scene, living with her grandmother has always left her feeling like an outsider. When she is approached by a boy sent by the FBI to consider entering a special program of other Naturals, she assumes they are just messing with her. But the offer is real. There is a special group of kids who are Natural profilers, genius statisticians, and human lie detectors who can swing the result of any investigation. They aren't allowed into the field, but the agents house them in an old mansion and ask them to review cold cases in the hopes of solving previously unsolvable crimes.

Michael brings her around to meet the other kids, but while he is welcoming, the others aren't exactly interested in her presence. They all live in a house with pictures of serial killers on the walls, but that isn't even the strangest thing about the place. Liv can read lies and Sloane is like Rain Man (and a klepto). But mysterious Dean is the unreadable member of the team. The agents want to ease Cassie into the process, but when a serial killer starts hunting in the middle of the city, they get desperate. The kids aren't willing to stay on the sidelines, though, and their meddling gets them, Cassie in particular, the attention of the one person they don't want: the serial killer.

The Naturals was my first experience with Barnes, and I have to say it was definitely a good one! The story was a nice mix of slightly paranormal (the kids' "natural talents" feel a little like special abilities) and a crime mystery. The serial killer is a pretty creepy twist with special short chapters between Cassie's chapters where you get inside the killer's head. Creeptastic! Barnes did a good job of building enough suspense that you couldn't put the story down, and better yet, it seems we will have a sequel to look forward to. The one aspect of the story I struggled with was the boys. Michael and Dean are supposed to be the Cassie Love Triangle, but neither really appealed to me. I was more interested in quirky Liv and Sloane than I was the boys, which made it tough to be too invested in the small amount of romance in the story. But Dean has a promising back story that could get interesting.

The story can be kind of gruesome at times. Basically, if you would let a kid watch Criminal Minds, they could read this book about these serial killers. The house the kids live in is a little morbid, but it adds to the creep factor of the whole place. The story was fast-paced and incredibly interesting, so it would be good for any reader interested in mysteries or crime writing. I am looking forward to the next story  to see what happens to all the Naturals!

The Burden of the Prodigy

If a group of rebels is to ever overthrow a corrupt government, they must have a better option waiting to fill the void. In Marie Lu's Legend, Day and June became the poster children for the revolution against the Republic. In Prodigy, they become the heart of the people who demand something better from their government. 

The Republic has always been run by the Elector with an iron fist. June was his prodigy, and now that she has joined a common street thug, Day, whose Robin Hood-esque antics have always made him the Republic's nuisance, she is on the wrong side of the Elector. Then the Elector dies. When his son, Anden is tapped as the new Elector, he becomes a target for the Patriots, the rebel group fighting to overthrow the Republic. June and Day barely escape the rest of the Republic that is hunting them, but they finally find themselves in the hands of the Patriots. They are wary of the Patriots intentions, but Day needs medical attention and June will do anything to save him. The Patriots fix Day, but under one condition. June and Day are to assassinate the new Elector. 

As a former insider in the Republic, June is planted as an inside woman. With an elaborate plan to bring her back into the Elector's fold in order to distract him with a fake assassination plan while the true plan runs its course, June becomes the heart of the Patriot's plan. But something isn't right. From the moment she speaks to Anden, she becomes aware he is nothing like his father. She cant explain why exactly she trusts him as much as she does, but something tells her there is something very wrong with the plan to assassinate this man. She has realized it, but will Day? Especially when part of her cover is to play on Anden's obvious affections for her? 

Wow! This series could not possibly have more twists, turns, and surprises if it tried! I loved Legend, but it is amazing how Prodigy took the series in a whole new direction while still staying true to the amazing story Lu created in the first place. It truly was a fantastic follow-up to a great first book, and you won't be disappointed because there is absolutely no sophomore slump happening here! One of the best parts of this book is how connected Day and June are. Even when he has no reason to believe her about the fishiness of the assassination plan, his trust in her shines through. He won't let anyone tell him to trust or not to trust June. She is the one person whom he doesn't doubt. And June feels the same way. A lesser couple would have doubted one another, but these two really have an amazing connection that I can't get enough of!

The world building is also a huge strength of this series. We see more of the former United States in this novel, and I was glad to get more about the history of the Republic and the Colonies than I did in the first book. There is so much alternate history wrapped up in this story of rebels and patriots that even if you didn't have the fabulous connection between June and Day, you would still love this story. I find myself wanting Lu to write a whole history book separate of the June and Day story so I can learn more and more about this world. And that, my friends, is a true testament to an amazing world an author has created! I really enjoyed this book and this series as a whole and I am looking forward to the final leg of the journey. But if they ending of this story has anything to do with it, I can tell it is going to be a doozy! Can't wait!

WE WANT MORE!

The Gallagher Girls like the fact that you wouldn't believe a bunch of young women were really spies. In fact, they count on it. The group of career criminals, jewel thieves, and con artists who count Kat Bishop among their ranks count on the same thing- to you, they are just another group of teens, not master thieves who can break into the most highly secured art museums in the world. In Double Crossed, Ally Carter brings together the spies and the thieves for one action-packed, doubly brilliant short story. 

Macey McHenry is the senator's daughter, but no one would expect she was also a trained Gallagher Girl. W. W. Hale V is the heir to a fortune you wouldn't believe, but really he just loves a good con. Neither knows the true nature of the other, and there is nothing worse than underestimating your opponent... or in this case, your ally. When, at a high society function, men armed to the teeth hold everyone hostage, it doesn't take Hale and Macey long to realize they have no intention of bagging the wallets and jewels and running. They want something bigger. But that bigger is hidden inside an impenetrable safe. How can two teens save a room full of people? If you have to ask, you don't know Hale or the Gallagher Girls!

OK, first, I must take a moment to BEG Carter to start a new series that brings these two groups together. Come ON! Give me a cross-over series! This was such a TEASE! It was a fabulous way to bring the two groups together and truly showcased ALL their talents. I love the fact that the Gallagher Girls are typically on the "good side" and jewel thief is considered "bad" (although these guys specialize in returning goods that have been misappropriated to their rightful owners). Yet when they come together, especially cool guy Hale and sassy Macey, it was magic! I loved this, and if you have read the two series, you should check this out. If you haven't, I have one thing to say to you- What are you WAITING for!!

Not Totally Infectious

It's bad enough to be labeled a juvenile delinquent over an accident and sent to a wilderness program with other criminals, but watching everyone around you turn into flesh eating zombies just makes it that much worse. In Sean Beaudoin's Infects, Nero is trapped in his own worst nightmare... but at least there is a cute girl there too!

Nick Soul couldn't have imagined a freak accident on the chicken "disassembly" line would have him labeled an ecoterrorist or a criminal, but then again there isn't much in his life that goes his way. As he is on his way to the wilderness program that is supposed to "straighten him out", he realizes there are worse things in this world than the genocide of chickens that happens everyday in the chicken factory. Once he chooses his wilderness name, Nero, he is immersed into a ride that no one world have expected.

Not 24 hours in the woods and Nero wakes up to a sight he can't believe is real despite looking at it with his own two eyes: one of his counselors is bent over the other counselor... eating him. It is that very moment that all hell breaks loose. The few other delinquents who aren't crazy cannibals take off with Nero headed away from the campsite- they don't know where they plan to go, but they know they can't stay there! On the way, the boys encounter all manner of zombies, but what is even scarier than their desire for human flesh is the fact that they seem able to think, reason, and solve problems. Those are never good qualities to find in a zombie. You never want a zombie to be smart enough to find even more ways to eat you. If life wasn't hell for Nick before he became Nero, its about to be worse than any hell he could imagine.

Well, I think it is important to know that this zombie novel isn't really your classic zombie novel. It is more like "Shawn of the Dead" in novel form, a farce, a spoof, if you will. I thought it was a real zombie novel, so when I delved in and started to notice some quirks and odd characters, I became suspicious. By the end it was clear this was a goofy book playing off the subgenre. That isn't to say it isn't funny, because it is, but if you were looking for a real zombie novel, try Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin series. 

That being said, this was a pretty entertaining, albeit goofy, book. The descriptions and dialogue will leave you chuckling, and even the zombies themselves are ridiculous (even with gory bits of human gristle hanging out of their mouths). Even though the story is funny, it is also pretty bloody. I would suggest this book for those students who like a good horror movie but have a sarcastic streak. Those are the kids who will appreciate this story the most. While it wasn't my favorite book, this story gave me a few chuckles and definitely has a niche audience. I can see myself passing it off to my older students (some pretty vulgar language on top of gore and sexual content). But, it would definitely have to be the exactly perfect audience for this story to work for one of my students.

Fantastical Fantasy!

Who would imagine that the most dangerous person in the world could be a young woman? Well, the King did, which is why he put her in the most dangerous prison in the land. In Sarah J. Mass's Throne of Glass, we watch a young woman transform from a nameless prisoner to the prince's champion, but she never becomes any less deadly.

Celaena was put into the work camp in the mines with the expectation she wouldn't last long, but she is always underestimated. Trained by the King of Assassins, she counts on being underestimated. But when the prince comes to the prison, she isn't expecting to be brought back to the castle for a competition. In an effort to find the ultimate assassination, the king has devised a diabolical competition between the toughest (and the most dangerous) thugs and criminals in the country. Each competitor is sponsored by a member of the court, and Celaena is the prince's tribute. 

Throughout her earliest training, Celaena is advised to keep her true identity and her true abilities a secret. She struggles with keeping her deadliness a secret with some of the other, less refined, competitors mock her, but winning her freedom is worth swallowing her pride. But when the competitors start showing up dead, and not just dead but disemboweled and partially eaten, it becomes clear the competitors aren't the only deadly creatures in the castle. Celaena is sure she is on the list for whatever is skulking about at night, but she won't let it frighten her. And she certainly won't let it convince her to give up the fight for her freedom.

This was a fabulous fantasy for anyone who has read and enjoyed Graceling, Finnikin of the Rock, etc. It is that mild fantasy that has an otherworldly feel, but isn't too out there to discourage the realistic readers. it is a great book for any strong middle readers through young adults. There is a little violence, but it isn't too graphic. But most of all, the books is tremendously exciting. You won't be able to put it down, it is so exciting!

The thing I like most about this story is Celaena herself. Sometimes when an author writes a truly strong female lead, they can feel artificial. Sometimes they are too mean, too aggressive, too disconnected, or even just plain unlikable. But Celaena is different. She has the ability to kill a man three times her size with her bare hands, but she is still someone you find yourself wanting to root for. She is an assassin, yet you find yourself wanting to know her better. Celaena is an awesome female lead who can inspire oodles of young girls out there. So pass this on to a girl you know, and let her bear witness to one fierce and fabulous leading lady!

Don't Forsake the Dystopia

Do you believe in nature or nurture? I ask my students this all the time. Fate vs. Free Will. Nature vs. Nurture. Can our choices determine who we become? Or are we destined for a specific future? In The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse, kids are all subjected to a test to determine whether they will become future criminals. And you don't want to fail this test.


Alenna watched her parents taken from their home by force. She was put in foster care, but even as an orphan, you don't escape the test that determines your possible criminal future. She can't imagine she would fail, but when she is put under for the test, she wakes up on the island, known as The Wheel to the residents of the penal colony. She knows the life expectancy on the wheel is only a few years, but she has no idea how to protect herself. She wakes up next to a boy she hopes she can trust, but when he gets injured, she has no choice but to abandon him and run away with the girl who saved them from the lunatic drones (other kids who follow the Monk). The Monk owns most of the island, but the other kids are struggling to hold on to their last piece of the wheel. 


They know their days are numbered, so they plan to find a way into the Gray area of the wheel- the only inaccessible piece that is protected by a strange bubble. But their plan to escape is delayed by attacks from the Monk's drones, sickness, and the feelers- creepy unmanned flying crafts that suck kids up into them. Those kids are never seen again once the feeler takes them. And the Gray area is the only place the feelers could be kept, so the kids know this mission would most likely mean a swifter death for anyone who goes. But that doesn't stop Alenna. She wants to find a way off the island... and she doesn't want to be left behind by Liam. Liam, the strong, fearless hunter, is leading the trip to the Gray area and nothing will stop them from getting there... but what about the Monk, the drones, the illness, and the feelers? How could they possibly make it?


This was a really interesting dystopia. The idea of screening kids for criminal futures and dumping them to survive on their own at a penal colony is terrifying and would be a real eye opener to any young adult. It also brings about the big question of Fate vs. Free Will. I love having this conversation with my students because they can never pick one side and stick with it. It is one of the ultimate unanswerable questions, and I enjoy the discussions it creates. Alenna wasn't my favorite character, though. I found her a little *meh*, and preferred Gadya, the girl who saved her in the beginning. She was feisty and angry, and I appreciated that. I was also confused by David, who just floated in and out of the story with no real purpose, explanation, or conclusion. Even by the end, I had no idea what his real purpose was.


But the rest of the story was really exciting and interesting. It was a dystopia that will appeal both to dystopia junkies like myself and the general population. There is even a little "Love of My Life" action in case you couldn't imagine a dystopia without an insta-love (rolling my eyes). I will definitely read the next book, but I wish there was a little more explanation by the end of this first book. Instead it opens up a whole new can of worms... and then just ENDS. So, if you can't handle the year+ wait, I suggest holding off for the next book, because you are gonna be ticked off by the ending!

It's Gonna Be Legendary!

A story as old as time. Two people, from opposite sides of town, who were never meant to know each other, let alone care about each other. And when they can't bare to let the other one go, they have to experience great sacrifice in order to be together. We have heard the story before, but that doesn't mean we don't want to hear it again in Marie Lu's Legend.

June is a prodigy. She is years younger than her classmates because she was moved forward so many times in school. Her perfect score on the Trial's is unheard of, and the Republic wants her to be their model soldier. Day is a criminal, according to the Republic. To the people he helps, he is a modern day Robin Hood. He steals from the evil, corrupt government and gives to the poor people caught in the crossfire of a war that would have been considered a civil war in times when the United States was one whole country. But Day is careful. No one knows what he looks like or who Day really is, including his family who thinks he is dead, and he never hurts anyone. All he wants is to level the playing field. When a desperate attempt to get plague cure from a heavily guarded hospital goes awry, he has to break his one rule- he has to wound a soldier to get away, but he makes sure not to kill him.

That soldier was June's brother Metias. He died that night. June has been enlisted to go under cover in the poor districts and see if she can find the elusive Day. She is all too happy to find the man who killed her brother. What she doesn't expect is to get caught in a paid fight, stabbed, and need to be saved by a mysterious but alluring boy. Day had no intention of saving her, but he couldn't help himself. Eventually June realizes who her saviour is, but not before he shares some very dangerous theories about what the Republic is really doing in the poor sectors, especially about the spread of each year's new plague. When Day is taken into custody, June can't help but think her brother must have known about this all. She begins digging through his journals, but she isn't ready for what she finds. June's whole world is turned upside down, but she can think of only one thing- saving Day.

Lu created a really interesting dystopia where the country we know has split in two. In that fight for land and power, they have made their citizens pawns. The Trials were a way to separate the weak from the strong. All kids have to go through the trials and their scores determine where they go from there- either to the labor camps if they fail, or to be a Republic officer if they do well. In fact, reading about the trials made me think about the SATs. The SATs have the ability to make or break a student's college applications. One test, one very biased, convoluted test can determine their futures. I have seen incredibly smart, intuitive, creative thinkers bomb that horrible test. Hopefully there is a college out there willing to "take a chance" on them despite those SAT scores, but you never know. Why do we use the SATs and GREs to measure people's worth and potential? Every person even remotely involved in education knows there are smart kids who don't test well and anyone who preps kids for the SAT hates the test with unbridled passion, so why is it still being used? Unfortunately I think it has something with our need to fit everyone into neat, predictable categories. But what do we know about neat, predictable categories when it comes to people? They don't exist! But I digress. I will continue to hate the SATs, but I will still administer it as I am supposed to, secretly hoping colleges will ban together to boycott its use. Hopefully it will happen someday!

So Lu's world, while fictionalized and exaggerated, isn't far from our own. Control and power are slippery slopes to terrifying times, as history has shown us time and time again. This would be a good book for any student who enjoys dystopias and other cautionary tales of what can happen when people are given too much power. It is appropriate for any middle school through high school student and uses average young adult caliber language. But remember something when you read it- if we all strive for conformity, we lose those amazing individuals who have given us all those comforts and toys we love so much!