Bibliophile Support Group

Uglies is a YA dystopian novel by Scott Westerfeld. Still an ugly, Tally is looking forward to her upcoming sixteenth birthday. That is the day she will have her operation to become a pretty, as everyone does at sixteen, and move to New Pretty Town - the place all the newly gorgeous young people in society spend their time having fun all the time. Her best friend Peris has already turned pretty – and the loneliness Tally feels as she waits for her day to join him is hollowing out a hole in her heart. She worries he forgets about her as he adapts to his new, pretty life. When she meets Shay, Tally is shocked to learn that Shay is not as excited to turn pretty. She says odd things, such as not liking the idea of looking like everyone else – not liking that they are unable to consider their current faces pretty. So, Shay running away right before her own operation stuns Tally – but not as much as it might have. Yet, when heretofore unknown authorities in their society approach ...

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions is a YA anthology of stories by numerous best-selling authors and edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong. Pulling together short stories together regarding journeys – whether physical or not – these authors provide plots featuring vampires, faeries, angels and more. Authors include such bigwigs as Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Carrie Ryan and more. One of the main reasons I wanted to read Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions was for the short story by Kelley Armstrong. I’m a huge fan of her Darkest Powers trilogy and Facing Facts was a great little reunion with my favorite characters of hers – Chloe and Derek! Facing Facts did not disappoint! Generally, however, Enthralled was a mixed bag. Giovanni’s Farewell was a good, sweet story by Claudia Gray. Let’s Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan and At the Late Night, Double Feature Picture Show by Jessica Verday were interesting diversions, both cre...

Across a Star-Swept Sea is a YA sci-fi, dystopian retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Diana Peterfreund. Though this story stands on its own, it brings back characters from Peterfreund’s wonderful For Darkness Shows the Stars – so I personally would recommend reading that first. You can read my review of For Darkness Shows the Stars here – but there will be no spoilers for it in this review, no worries! New Pacifica’s two separate islands are all remaining of the world after centuries of war and destruction. Even the prior horror of the Reduction – a brain disorder that caused many of the wars and left much of the population without fully-functioning minds – is a thing of the past. After all, there is now a cure. Yet on the island of Galatea, there has been a revolution – a revolution against the aristocracy that has morphed into the ultimate revenge. A drug has been created to cause Reduction – and the revolutionaries are forcing anyone who disagrees with them to take i...

Cinder is a YA futuristic sci-fi fantasy retelling of Cinderella, and the first book in The Lunar Chronicles , by Marissa Meyer. Being a cyborg is almost as shameful as being an android – despite the fact that Cinder knows she is human, there are many in New Beijing who would argue that fact. So, as she spends her days utilizing her gifts as a mechanic to provide income for her derisive adoptive mother and sisters, Cinder doesn’t advertise her cyborg parts. Not good for business. Yet, she’s never felt the weight of being a cyborg as strongly as when her path crosses with Prince Kai – an admittedly attractive and charming young man. Not to mention royal. Soon, Cinder is pulled deeper into the most concerning struggles of Earth – a ravaging, deadly plague that they’ve been trying to find a cure for without success in twenty-five years and a possibility of war hinging on nothing more than the whims of a mad queen from the country Lunar, on the moon. There are secrets to Cinder...

Deviation is the first book in the futuristic sci-fi YA series The Sophisticates by Christine Manzari. Cleo is a Sophisticate – one of the children genetically engineered in the Program to combat terrorism since the both economically and murderously destructive Wormwood hit America 30 years ago, changing everything. She’s a Vanguard – focused more on advanced academics to create a brighter economic future for the country one day. Sophisticates do not have family – they do not have control over their own lives – they are owned by the Program and are reminded of it constantly. Yet Cleo is not content with this – and when she’s caught hacking into a Program computer system to try and learn more about her donors she gets very upset. And when she gets upset… something bad happens. A dangerous, unexpected anomaly. As much as Cleo tries to hide what happened, she’s sent to the Academy to switch from a Vanguard to a Mandate – the military branch of the Program, where Sophisticates ar...

Parched is a sci-fi dystopian YA novel by Georgia Clark. Born and raised a privileged Edenite, sixteen-year-old Tessa Rockwood left everything behind after the sudden, violent death of her scientist mother to escape to the Badlands. The Badlands are outside the lush borders of Eden – where water is a precious, rare commodity, as is privacy, prosperity or nearly anything that comes easy in Eden. After years of the Trust – those that govern Eden – leading Edenites to believe the Badlands are simply an exotic, humbler place, Tessa now knows the ugly, brutal truth. So, when she is approached to return to Eden and secretly fight the inequality by joining a rebel group called Kudzu, Tessa does. She attempts to swallow down her gnawing guilt at the secrets only she knows about her mother’s death and tries to slip back into her old life by showing up at her uncle’s home. It’s tougher than she expected to return, though. And as it’s revealed that the Trust may be tinkering with artif...

Fox Forever is a YA sci-fi novel – and the third in the Jenna Fox Chronicles – by Mary E. Pearson. Happily, I was able to take the time to re-read The Adoration of Jenna Fox and The Fox Inheritance before reading Fox Forever . Yet again I was moved and amazed by the originality and characterizations that made both books so stunning. I recommend reading these books in order to get the whole effect – so refrain from reading this review if you haven’t yet read The Adoration of Jenna Fox and The Fox Inheritance . Locke Jenkins has left the relative comfort of Jenna’s home to live the life he’s been robbed of for the last 260 years – time that Jenna has lived, despite still looking a young seventeen-years-old. But he has a Favor to repay – from the time that he and Kara were escaping from the monstrous Dr. Gatsbro and the Network – those who are on the fringes of society as non-civilians in this futuristic, split United States - helped them. They seem to think Locke would be ...

The Here and Now is a YA contemporary novel with a time travel twist from Ann Brashares. This is the first novel I’ve read from Brashares that is not Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants related. Seventeen-year-old Prenna knows the rules. Since she and the others in her community immigrated to New York from the future – a time of disease and death – the rules have been repeated endlessly. Don’t tell anyone where you’re from. Don’t interfere with history. Don’t become intimate with anyone outside of the community. However, Prenna has always felt that nice, good-looking classmate Ethan Jarves knew something. As much as she tried to follow the rules and be very careful to not reveal anything, his eyes held perceptiveness – almost a shared secrecy. When Prenna is faced with the truth about her community and what they are – or are not – doing to prevent the future plague, she’s forced to decide where her loyalties lie. And if she needs to break the rules… Initially, I didn’t fe...

The 5th Wave is a YA sci-fi novel by Rick Yancey. OMG. The 5th Wave left me feeling pretty drained and exhausted. For the best reasons. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s have a little synopsis, shall we? Within a span of less than a year, the world has turned upside down. Sixteen-year-old Cassie saw how people reacted when alien ship first arrived. Some were excited, some panicked – but no one expected the truth. Just how much smarter they truly were than humans. First there was the 1st Wave, then a 2nd, then a 3rd and a horrifying 4th. Each Wave cost humanity more and more until there’s very few left – and of those Cassie knows one thing above all else: trust no one. A single purpose keeps Cassie moving – all alone, hungry, tired – a promise she made to her baby brother Sam. That she would find him again. That they’d be together again. Maybe it’s impossible – but that promise is keeping Cassie alive right now. But on the horizon… the 5th Wave is coming....

Allegiant is a YA dystopian sci-fi novel and the third in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. You know the drill bibliophiles, don’t read this review unless you’ve already read Divergent and Insurgent . Understood? Final warning… Now that Tris has made the message her mother was protecting known to the factions and factionless alike - risking her life, her relationships and her strength in doing so – she now has to face what it means. Her way of life – the way of life of everyone she’s ever known – has been put into question. Are they all part of an experiment? Have they just been preparing Divergent to save the world?? With the loss of their core understanding, Tris, Tobias and others decide to venture outside of the limits they’ve never passed as the environment around them is shattering anyway. They want to find purpose again… What’s beyond the limits only creates more uncertainty, however. Tris and the others find themselves faced with truths they do not want to ...

Insurgent is a YA dystopian novel, the second in the Divergent trilogy, by Veronica Roth. If you have not read Divergent – this review will have spoilers for that first book – I strongly advise not reading this review until you’ve read Divergent . Understood? UNDERSTOOD?!?!? Okay, I’m trusting only readers of Divergent are continuing on now… Initiation Day in the Dauntless faction should have been one of joy for Tris – she had finally cemented her place in Dauntless, no longer in fear of becoming factionless - and finding her place among the courageous, free Dauntless is what she’s wanted for so long. Instead, it became a living nightmare. Tris, as a Divergent, was one of the few “awake” Dauntless while she witnessed her faction put under a forced simulation that caused her friends to become murderers – and an entire faction to be wiped out. When the morning comes, the horror is not over – and the remnants of what Tris had to do haunting her mind and hurting her resolv...

Divergent is a YA dystopian thriller and the first in a trilogy written by Veronica Roth - as you probably well know. Yes, yes. I know word has been out on these books for a while – but cut a girl some slack! There are too many books and too little time, people!! In a futuristic Chicago, society has been split into factions that define your outlook, beliefs and the loyalties that will define you forever. These factions were originally established to create a peaceful life and to right the wrongs done in the past. At a predetermined time every year, that year’s sixteen year olds have to choose – choose the faction that they will spend their life in. It’s a choice that separates family and friends and defines who you are. When Beatrice makes her choice, it will transform her… Okay, I did not give away much AT ALL. Because if you, like me, haven’t read it until now the less you know the better! Because: Divergent is AWESOME . Immediately Veronica Roth presents an enthral...

The Kill Order is the YA dystopian horror prequel to James Dashner’s Maze Runner series. I know I’ve taken my time on this one, a bit. After being very into The Maze Runner , then slightly less enchanted with The Scorch Trials and quite a bit irritated with The Death Cure – I became quite sure there was no need for me to reenter this world that had disappointed me. Yet… here I am. And, I have to say, it was much better than I expected. A brief synopsis, if you will: When the sun flares hit the earth and the world as we know it changed forever – Mark and Trina were there. Just as they’ve reached a point where survival seems to be getting a little easier – just when the horrifying memories of those early days of terror aren’t the only thing on their minds – it begins. A disease that seems to mutate, change and worsen – a disease of the mind, causing rage and insanity – seems to be spreading across the landscape of what is left of the United States. Hoping to find a cure,...

Tandem is a YA contemporary sci-fi novel featuring the concept of parallel worlds by Anna Jarzab. Sixteen year old Sasha has long gotten over her diehard crush on popular yet nice senior Grant. Yet when he out-of-the-blue strikes up a conversation with her – at the library no less – her heart can’t help but go-a-thumping. When he states interest in taking her to the prom, Sasha can hardly believe it – but Grant is believable and seems to really like her – despite how invisible she’s felt for so long. Of course it was all too good to be true. Stories of parallel worlds where an alternate Sasha is living an alternate life were fairy-tales to Sasha’s as she grew up with her theoretical physicist grandfather after her parents’ death when she was young. Now? All too real. Sasha is thrust into an alternate universe in which the other version of herself is a princess that has vanished less than two weeks before her arranged marriage to a rival country’s prince. And now Sasha i...

Inhuman is a YA futuristic sci-fi dystopian novel by Kat Falls, and the first in the Fetch series. After a biological disaster has left all of the United States east of the Mississippi River blocked off by a huge, sprawling wall life is completely different. Time has passed and Lane McEvoy does not know anything different. But there is that stomach churning fear and curiosity over what lies on the other side of the wall. A place now called the Feral Zone, where the millions of people infected with a virus have been mutated into bloodthirsty savages. Curiosity can truly kill you though – punishment for violating the border is execution. But when Lane is faced with the knowledge that someone she loves has passed the wall – and she’s tasked with bringing them back she sees just how unprepared she is to travel through the Feral Zone. Will her humanity prove to be her strength… or her downfall? My synopsis may not do the plot of Inhuman justice, but I definitely didn’t want t...

Burn is the third and final novel in the YA post-apocalyptic Pure trilogy by Julianna Baggott. Being that this is an ambitious, complex, rewarding trilogy – if you haven’t read Pure and Fuse already, you definitely need to! This review will hold inadvertent spoilers of those first two books, so you’ll want to avoid this review and click on the above titles to learn more about the prior novels first. Got it?! But if you have already read Pure and Fuse , then you can obviously continue! Partridge has inherited leadership over the Dome – an enclosed refuge among the ruins of what once was our world – after the death of his father. The inhabitants, soaking in their denial that has become ingrained over the years, wish to mourn him. But Partridge wants to expose his secrets, instead. He wants to unite the Dome and its “Pure” inhabitants with the disfigured, fused “Wretches” on the outside. The ones that had been left to die all those years ago. His new position of power...

Henry’s Stories: Volume 2 is a YA anthology of sci-fi short stories by Henry Melton. Here we have 13 stories from the imagination of Henry Melton. One story speculates what a casual teenage couple might do if suddenly faced with realization of nuclear catastrophe. Another with the age old idea of three wishes, and how we all feel we’d do a better job. Still yet another that focuses on an alien planet, or an alternate reality. In other words, all kinds of sci-fi. Henry Melton’s intelligent, mature offerings make for insight into various different ideas and forays into imagination. Some of them I found quite compelling, others not so much. That’s what often happens with anthologies. Also I can have a hard time because I don’t find as much interest in the deeply technical stories, which he sometimes provides. But for those of you who do like those, Henry’s Stories: Volume 2 should be a treat! At times the hormonal and romantic aspects of Melton’s stories comes off as odd o...

Impulse is a YA contemporary sci-fi book by Steven Gould, and a sequel to his Jumper series. I read Impulse as a newbie to this series. It’d probably have been even better if I’d had a chance to read Jumper and Reflex first – but Impulse did well on its own, too. Cent, the sixteen-year-old daughter of parents Davy and Millie, lives in a remote cabin – hiding from the people who kept her father imprisoned and tortured him because of their desire to control his ability to teleport, or “jump”. This means that Cent’s primary view of the world is from TV, movies, the internet – not anything real. Deciding enough is enough, Cent pleads with her (understandably) cautious parents to let her go to a normal high school in a safe town. Right around the time they agree, Cent’s own ability to “jump” like her parents is discovered – and she begins to utilize her strong intellect from years of stringent home schooling to experiment with it a little. Once she enters high school, she realizes...

For Darkness Shows the Stars is a YA post-apocalyptic romance by Diana Peterfreund. Elliot North is of Luddite nobility. Since she was a child she was taught that the Luddites, who outlawed most technology, were the reason the human race survived after a genetic experiment went wrong many generations ago. That experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction. As one of the Luddite nobility, she has always been aware that her purpose is to protect the Reduced and enforce the Luddite principles to shun technological advances. Yet, as a young adult, Elliot knows things aren’t as simple as that. She was childhood best friends with Kai – a servant that was born to her family. He is not Reduced, but does not have the rights of a Luddite – he is one of the many Post-Reductionists that are changing the way the world looks at the future. Her friendship, her love, with Kai was fractured four years ago when Elliot refused to run away with him. When she chose to stay and look after the es...

Storm Front is the first book in the adult urban fantasy series The Dresden Files by bestselling author Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is a wizard. He’s in the book. No, he’s not advertising to entertain at parties or read your future. Instead, he offers to use his powers and training to find lost items, investigate paranormal activity, and give advice. After all, the “everyday” world is actually populated with many magical, supernatural things and beings – and they don’t tend to play well with humans. Dresden helps to bridge that gap. When the Chicago P. D. asks for his assistance with a particularly gruesome case involving what seems to be otherworldly powers – really no other explanation for it – Harry’s first thought is that this is a chance to pay his rent. Business hasn’t been so good lately. So, he agrees. Yet this case involves some heavy black magic – and that means there’s one nasty, ballsy black mage behind it. One that apparently knows Harry’s after him – and now Har...