Divergent

Divergent
By Veronica Roth
Katherine Tegen Books, 2011. 487 pgs. Teen fiction


Chicago is divided into five factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). Each faction exemplifies the behaviors and attitudes that they think will most benefit the world and combat the problems of human nature. As teens reach a certain age, they are given an aptitude test that tells them which attributes they have, followed by a ceremony where they choose which group to remain with for the rest of their lives. Most people have one dominant attribute, but Beatrice Prior, who has been raised by her Abnegation parents and community, isn't sure she's selfless enough to stay with that faction. When her aptitude tests reveals that she has multiple dominant attributes, meaning she is divergent, she must choose which faction to join--as well as hide the fact that she's divergent, as she's been warned that her life depends on no one finding out her secret. Tris makes her choice, changing her name along with her alliances, and as she trains for her new faction, she struggles to know who to trust and starts to fall in love but also realizes that everything could be ripped away but a group that is ready to overthrow their way of life.

Some books just hook you, and some don't. For me, this one definitely did. I think this has the potential to be the new Hunger Games--the trilogy that everyone has to read and can't stop thinking about. With an intriguing dystopian world, engaging characters, action, adventure, romance, and more, there's not much that this book doesn't have. I will say that I thought the end of the book, where we see the conflict really unfolding, as the rebel group begins rolling out their plans, went by to quickly for me and was actually too easily resolved. Obviously, there's going to be a lot more going on in the next books, but I would have liked to see a little more in this one, as it all plays out in a matter of a few hours. On the other hand, Tris's training and personal growth and conflicts were explored in much more detail and over time, so the juxtaposition just made the larger, societal conflict seem glossed over. Still, I'm hooked, and I can't wait to see what happens next! A great choice for anyone who liked The Hunger Games, dystopia, romance, action, or kick-butt characters.

4.5 stars. As far as language goes, I think this one's pretty clean. There's a lot of violence, though. Sexuality is minimal; there's some kissing, a little sexual tension, and a discussion of how two characters might possibly at some point in the future if they're ready, sleep together.

P.S. (3/26/12) I listened to the audio version of this book last week. I was a little apprehensive at first, since I know a bad narrator can ruin a good book, but , I was quite satisfied with the narrator. Very well done.

Lost in Shangri-La

Lost in Shangri-La
By Mitchell Zuckoff
HarperCollins, 2011. 384 pgs. Adult Nonfiction

In May of 1945, a popular activity at the U.S. Army base in Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, was taking flights to see "Shangri-La," a remote part of the island, completely isolated, surround by mountains and rain forests, with thousands of native inhabitants. Although others had completed this trip, for one group, it didn't turn out so well. When their plane crashed, twenty-one soldiers and WACs died--but three survived. Margaret Hastings and Kenneth Decker, both badly wounded in the crash, and John McCollum (whose twin died in the crash) lived but they were in a remote area of the world, wondering if the natives were cannibalistic, if the Army would be able to evacuate them, and if gangrene would lead to emergency amputation. The Army was able to parachute medics and other soldiers in to help the survivors, but they still didn't know how to get them out.

This is an engaging true story, which, although published for adults, would likely appeal to teen readers interested in WWII and survival stories. (I will say, though, there are pictures of the native men, who traditionally wore penis gourds and little else; some readers might not want to skip the photos.) The details about the survivors as well as the natives are interesting; the rescue was a little less dramatic than what I thought it would be, based on both the dust jacket and the chapters leading up to it, but still, it moves well and is an engaging piece of nonfiction.

4 stars.

Just One Wish

Just One Wish
By Janette Rallison
G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009. 264 pgs. Teen fiction

Annika's younger brother Jeremy has to have surgery to have a brain tumor removed, and Annika convinces him that she has a genie that will grant him two wishes beforehand, the first being whatever he wants and the second being that everything will work out for the surgery. She think his first wish will be for a Teen Robin Hood action hero, which she's managed to buy, and that when he gets that, it'll convince him that the wish for a successful surgery will work, too, and the power of positive thinking will ultimately make everything okay. Her plans go a little haywire, though, when instead of asking for the action hero he's been obsessing over, Jeremy wishes that Robin Hood will come to teach him how to shoot a bow. Annika has to figure out how to meet Steve Raleigh, the actor who plays Robin Hood, and convince him to come meet her brother, all in a matter of days.

This book is sad and sweet and funny all at once. While readers have to suspend disbelief a little to believe Annika's antics and attempts to meet Steve Raleigh, no one would have trouble believing that she loves her little brother enough to resort to desperate measures to help him. While she can be a little bit grating to the nerves, she's a realistic character. Steve's a cutie, and Jeremy pretty much steals the show.

4 stars.

What Can(t) Wait

What Can(t) Wait
By Ashley Hope Perez
Carolrhoda LAB, 2011. 234 pgs. Teen fiction

Marisa wants to graduate high school, get accepted to UT-Austin's engineering program, and get out on with having a life of her own. However, her parents have very different expectations for her; neither of them even went to high school, let alone graduated, so they don't understand her need for education. They expect her to be a willing helper in their family by cooking, baby-sitting her niece, and working as many hours as possible at her part-time job to help support the family. Marisa's best friend, boyfriend, and favorite teacher tell her she needs to work for her dreams, but Marisa doesn't know how she can if it comes at the expense of her family, especially her adorable niece who needs all the attention she can get.

This was a gripping book; I was pulled into Marisa's struggles, charmed by her boyfriend, and frustrated by her family. This realistic, intense story is one that many teen readers will enjoy. (As a small side tangent, though, I have to say one scene is really bothering me; when Marisa's dad gets upset about Marisa being out with her friends, Marisa's best friend--also Latina--explains that it's different for her, since her mom is Cubana and not Mexican and doesn't let her dad push her around. That's a paraphrase, but it illustrates the point. Anyway, I just felt like that was stereotyping Mexican men and women, and while the stereotype might be true in a lot of cases, I think it particularly bothered me because we don't get a whole lot of literature that take us beyond that stereotype...and I'd like to see that.)

3 stars.

Cut

Cut
By Patricia McCormick
Push, 2000. 151 pgs. Teen fiction

Thirteen-year-old Callie is in a treatment facility (nicknamed Sick Minds by the patients) because she's a cutter. Callie won't speak--not in group therapy, not in her one-on-one sessions with her counselor, not even during recreation times. But there comes a point where if Callie wants to heal, she'll have to speak up.

I read this book in one sitting. I was just really drawn into the story and Callie's struggle, trying to understand where she was coming from and why she would want to do something like cut herself. It's an engaging story on an important topic, and it's really well-done.

4 stars. Clean read.

The River between Us

The River between Us
By Richard Peck
Dial Books, 2003. 164 pgs. Teen fiction

Just at the outbreak of the Civil War, two girls, Delphine and Calinda, arrive in Grand Tower, just across the river into Northern territory. Tilly and her family take the two girls in, despite the fact that they are Southern and Calinda is black. They stir up the Pruitt family and the town itself. And soon, Tilly's twin brother heads off to war and their mother sends Tilly to get him back.

This is short book, but it's jam-packed with good things. There are secrets, family relationships, and insights into life in rural Illinois at the outbreak of the Civil War. Wrapped into Richard Peck's storytelling, there's not a single wasted word.

3.5 stars. Clean read.

Unwind

Unwind
By Neal Shusterman
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007. 335 pgs. Teen fiction

A couple generations in the future, a war has been fought over whether abortion is acceptable or not, and unexpected compromise has been reached: babies can't be aborted but when a child is between the ages of 13 and 18, parents can choose to have them unwound, which is the process of harvesting all of their parts and transplanting them to other humans in need of those parts. Connor's parents choose to have him unwound because of his behavior; Risa is an orphan who is deemed as not quite good enough to be allowed to continue existing, and Lev is a tithe, being unwound because of his family's religious beliefs. The three teens cross paths, and soon, they're trying to figure out how to survive in a world that says they don't deserve to live.

Ah! Why did I not read this book 4 years ago when it came out? I don't know, but I'm glad I finally got around to it! I really, really liked this book (which sounds funny to say...how can you like about about unwinding people, right?). It's thought-provoking, it's edgy, it's emotional, it has great characters (I loved Connor and Risa, and Lev is a good secondary character.), and it says a lot about how we value life. From the first page, I was hooked. I love the fact that this isn't just a book about an issue; it has real, well-developed characters and while it makes a statement, it also makes you care about the people in the story.

4.5 stars. Clean read (I think...maybe there's a little language...and there it's implied that two characters might like to go past kissing but they don't.)