The Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars by Nick James

Jesse, Eva, and Skandar have gone down to the Surface, which is illegal, to trade for a Pearl. Pearls come from outer space and have enough power for small cities. The mission is a success until Jesse is trapped on a roof by Cassius--a trainee in the Unified Party and enemy to the Skyships. Jesse falls but survives without a mark on him. Cassius still gets away with the Pearl, so Jesse, Eva, and Skandar return to base without the prize they went looking for.

Cassius, however, knows something happened while Jesse was hanging off that roof. He knows Jesse did something to him. Especially when he sets his entire room on fire. Madame, the real leader of the Unified Party, has a special mission. When she heads up to the Skyship, she wants Cassius to find and kidnap Jesse. She doesn't explain why, but Cassius feels honored he is chosen for such an important mission.

Until it goes badly. Jesse recognizes him and tries to escape. He's helped by his friend Avery as they jump into a ship and head for the surface. The two of them try to avoid Cassius, but at what cost?

At every turn, Jesse is learning who he can and cannot trust.

A solid beginning--it appears there may be more. There are some pacing issues, but mostly this is action-packed. Especially about halfway through the book to the end. Something is always happening and there are enough twists to keep anyone interested.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Nailer works on light crew--crawling into the deep paths on the ships beached in the Gulf and pulling copper wires to cell. His life is hard and he almost dies more than once. He is afraid of getting too big to continue this job as well.

He and his friend Pima save a girl, Nita, whose father is very wealthy. Nailer's dad wants to ransom her, but Nailer just wants to get her to safety. So they run away.

On the run, they don't know who to trust. They'll have to start somewhere to survive.

A pretty good dystopia--has everything you'd want, including a little social commentary. Action, adventure, and danger to keep things moving.

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

Ava has no memory of her life. She wakes up in a strange bed, a strange home, a strange world. All she knows is...nothing. Not even her name.


Memories start to return, but not easily, and they do not belong in the world she's living in. She doesn't remember Jane, the woman who says she's her mother. She doesn't remember her friends--well, she does, but not the same as they appear now.


There's a guy she does think is familiar--Morgan. Ava knows him better than she knows herself. He is the catalyst to bringing back her memories of another world, another time, and another place entirely.


Morgan, however, doesn't belong in this new world and risks fading away completely to find Ava and get her back.


By the time the story ended, I was enjoying it. Getting there took some time...the story is confusing from the first page. Ava is also confused for most of the story, so you're just right there along with her. An interesting premise though.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beatrice lives with her family in the Abnegation faction. They dress all in grey, wear their hair up, and are completely selfless. Beatrice and her brother are nearing their Choosing Ceremony, where they'll decide which faction to live the rest of their lives in. Before that happens, they have to go through an aptitude test, which indicates which faction they should be in. Beatrice's test shows she's Divergent. She's told to tell no one.

At the Choosing Ceremony, the first shock Beatrice gets is watching her brother Caleb choose the Erudite--the intelligence faction. The second shock is watching her own hand choose the Dauntless--the bravery faction. Once there, she changes her name to Tris and has to learn survival, fighting, and killing to become a full member.

Her days are spent training but she learns quickly how to survive in the brutal surroundings. Then she stumbles upon something that isn't quite right--deals being made between the Erudite and the Dauntless, aimed at the Abnegation. And finding that being Divergent means she can manipulate simulations, which means she may have a chance to save her family.

On the same bent as the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Enclave by Ann Aguirre, we've entered another dystopias, this time in Chicago. The story moves quickly, the characters are well-drawn, and Tris is a great narrator. Some things are obvious, but that's ok. I'm sure there will be more--so this sets up a great beginning. Well worth the read!

Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Ok, so once again, I find myself reading a book in a series, and I don't want to give away what happens in the other two books by talking a lot about this book.

What I will say about this book is this one was the best of the three. I didn't think it would be when I started, but I absolutely could not put it down. This pulls stories mostly out of the 2nd book, Dead-Tossed Waves, but there are a few references back to The Forests of Hands and Teeth.

Well worth the read, and wonderful!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

The fifty contestants of the Miss Teen Dream pageant trained for months, even years, to strut their stuff in front of the cameras. Too bad their airplane crashes on an unknown and deserted island and some of those 50 girls don't make it.

The survivors are left wondering if they'll ever be rescued. They continue to train for the pageant, but in order to survive they also have to learn how to find food, fend off snakes, and cope with the lack of civilization.

Meanwhile, on the same island, The Corporation--responsible for all merchandise and entertainment available to everyone in America--plots to undermine the government by supplying weapons to America's worst enemy.

Yet another hilarious book by Libba Bray. Enough things go on here, most of all a parody of the way society is. Humor, adventure, and a dose of romance.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Every child is safe until their 13th birthday. Then parents have the option of 'unwinding'--cutting their child into pieces and giving them to others. Once they turn 18, that's no longer an option.

Connor's parents decide to unwind him when he's 15. Risa's a ward of the state that no longer has the funds to support unnecessary talent. Lev is a tithe--born for the purpose of unwinding. All three are thrown together when Connor decides to break for it and kidnaps Lev to avoid getting shot with tranquilizers.

Connor and Risa end up at a sanctuary for unwinds, until things go terribly wrong.

And Lev, well, he makes some uncomfortable decisions.

An unusual concept and telling. The book focuses on different characters--most often Connor, Risa, and Lev, but it is told in 3rd person. The society is always in the background, and those who are unwound still have a voice throughout. Science fiction thriller to be sure!

Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia has been Matched with Xander, her best friend. Virtually unheard of, Cassia is pleased she doesn't have to wonder what her match is like. When she puts her microcard of Xander in her screen at home, though, someone else's face pops up for a few seconds--Ky.

Cassia's told Ky can't be Matched with anyone, but she can't help but wonder. The two of them are thrown together, for hiking, leisure time, and in her neighborhood. He's from the Outer Provinces and while at first that scares her, she becomes fascinated. Her feelings begin to grow, especially when her Grandfather gives her an illegal poem, Ky teaches her how to write, and she begins to question the Society, Officials, and her life.

Then Ky is taken away. Cassia has to decide where her loyalties will lie.

This is the first in a series. I liked how the book unfolded, and Cassia's growth. A lot happens in the book and most of it seems important in one way or another. In a way it reminded me of The Matrix (everything reminds me of a movie!)

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Deuce has lived her whole life underground in the enclave. She's also been in training to be a Huntress, someone who protects, hunts, and fights for the enclave's survival. After her naming ceremony which identifies her as an adult, Deuce is partnered with Fade, a lone Hunter from Topside. Neither is happy about it at all.

Soon that doesn't matter. The two are punished for not following direct orders by bringing a deformed outsider into the enclave. The outsider brings news--Nassau is gone, overrun by the Freaks who threaten everyone's survival. Deuce and Fade are sent to find the truth--a mission no one expects them to survive. That's only the beginning of their adventure together.

A fantastic book. Loved the characters and setting along with the plot. A lot like The Hunger Games and The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Can't wait for the sequel.

Invasion by Jon S Lewis

Colt's parents die in a tragic car accident and Colt has to move from California to Arizona to live with his grandfather. Colt's only solace in this is he'll be living near an old friend and his grandfather. Then at school he meets Oz, who acts like this isn't the first time they've met.

Colt finds an unfamiliar cell phone in his book bag one day at school, with a text message saying his parents were murdered. Colt agrees to meet the message-sender to learn more about his parents' death. His mother was about to expose one of the biggest corporations in the world...and they killed her for it. Now Colt's dodging assassins while looking for the information his mother hid somewhere. Unknown to him, he's drawn into a world of aliens and world domination.

He's in over his head but he'll have to catch up quick. His life and the lives of his friends depend on it. Not to mention the whole world.

A great first in the C.H.A.O.S. series. There are many other threads alluded to throughout the book, which if nothing else, tells you there's another book coming. The story ends, however, which I like. Lots of action and a good back story. I enjoyed it!

Warrior Woman by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ok, this isn't really a teen book, but I love Marion Zimmer Bradley and thought I had heard of all of her books (knowing I hadn't read all of them!), so I thought I'd pick this one up.

This is the story of Zadieyek, who has no memory. The first thing she remembers is a trek across the desert and being raped. A lot. But soon she's sold to be the concubines for gladiators--until she defends herself against one gladiator and kills him. Now her 'job' is to fight in the gladiator arena.

For Zadi, that's not a bad life. It isn't one she would have chosen, but she has no memory of life before. She's taken into the home of a rich patron--a woman--and given the task of finding other warrior women who wouldn't mind fighting as gladiators. This takes her over the same desert she was dragged through before, only this time, her memory starts to return.

Ok, so I did enjoy the book, although it was extremely short. A lot goes on, many avenues are started and then not explored, and Zadi only fights in a couple of matches in the arena. This is definitely fantasy, especially when you find out who Zadi is. Maybe not Bradley's best work, but I enjoyed it all the same. Reminded me a little bit about the Darkover novels, although I only read the first one.

Flip by Martyn Bedford

Alex doesn't know what's happened. He wakes up but instead of his familiar bedroom, he's in a strange one. Some lady is yelling for Phillip, and the light coming into the window is all wrong. He doesn't realize at first that he's in the body of Phillip, and he's standing in Phillip's room, in his house, with his family downstairs. No clue what's happened. All he knows is his name, and the last memory he has--climbing into his window in the middle of December. Now it's June. What happened?


While trying to figure that out, Alex is forced to live Phillip's life. Go to his classes, deal with his friends and girlfriends, trying to play cricket (first time ever!), and trying to appear as if nothing is wrong. But something is wrong...horribly wrong. And Alex wants back in his own body. In the worst way.


I really enjoyed this book. Some of the vernacular was odd, but it is set in England. Alex's experiences are realistic and his character is nicely flawed. The ending wasn't totally unexpected but it was nicely executed.

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Keller is a Novice Tracker. She lives in FoundLand, a country of all women. The world has changed, and while a few items of the Old People exist, most of them are gone. The materials from the Old People must be purged from their area, to avoid the catastrophe which caused the earth's destruction so many years ago.

But Laing finds a hidden cave of forbidden items and Keller can't stay away. The more she tries to resist, the more often she risks getting caught. The more she learns about the Old People, the less she believes what she's always been told.

An interesting premise. I enjoyed the story and Keller is a likable character. A few characters were not so fleshed out, but it didn't detract from the story. Lots of questioning authority and adventure, along with human nature.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E Pearson

Jenna lost a year and a half from her life. Something terrible happened and she's just now, at the age of 17, learning how to walk again, speak again, get her memory back, and function. Nothing around her looks familiar, and she can't believe her two best friends (when she remembers that she has best friends) aren't coming around to see her. But her parents moved her from Boston to California while she was still out of it, and she believes that's why she hasn't seen anyone else.

As her memories start to come back, Jenna really wonders what happened to her. Why her grandmother--Lily--can't seem to stand the sight of her. Why she's not allowed to go outside. Why her mother spends so much time hovering. And why they moved from Boston, where her father still works.

Slowly those questions are answered, but only bring up new ones. Including when it's ok to let someone go.

A combination of prose and poetry, Jenna's story is powerful and heart-wrenching. We learn as Jenna does about her condition and exactly how far her parents go to save her life. And the lives of her friends. This did remind me a bit of Robin Wasserman's books, but it is definitely not the same. A good sci-fi novel.

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Lia had everything, until a freak accident ruined it all. Her body was destroyed in the car crash, so her father had her brain downloaded into a mechanical body.

Not only does she have a hard time accepting her new body, but her life has drastically changed along with it. Her friends and boyfriend abandon her, her sister Zo is now living the life she had, and her parents can hardly look at her, even though they were the ones to make the choice. Lia's only friend is Auden, one of the outcasts at her school she never paid attention to before.

She's unsure if she should try to fit with the humans or spend more time with the other people like her. Mechanical. Her choice could be the last for Auden.

A good sci-fi story--takes a bit to get started, but then it moves quickly. Lia is a selfish creature who ends up putting everything she cares about in danger. Interesting enough for me to want to read the sequel, and a third book is coming out as well.

The Hunting: Z. Rex by Steve Cole

Adam and his dad are working on a new virtual reality video game. In order to find new funding, Adam's dad leaves for a few days in order to find another job. But he doesn't come back and Adam is worried.

Adam wonders what is going on--and then his building is attacked by a living, breathing dinosaur. Not sure what to think, Adam runs from the dinosaur and from the men who are hunting him and it. But the dinosaur, Zed, is determined to get him. And Zed is incredibly smart.

Adam and Zed head across the Atlantic--Zed can also fly--to find Adam's dad and look for help. Not sure who to trust, Adam takes a chance and puts them all in danger.

A definite sci-fi novel. Lots of action and danger to go around. Some things might make suspending disbelief hard, but things fall into place to make a great novel with lots of promise for the next in the series.

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

In the future, everyone takes a drug called Longevity. Because of this drug, no one dies. To relieve the strain on the world's resources, if you take the drug you aren't allowed to have children. Imagine a world where there are no children.

But some people have children anyway. When their caught, they're sent to jail, and their children are either killed or sent to a detention hall to learn how to become servants to the Legals.

Anna is one such child. Captured when she was two, she's only known life at Grange Hall. She's strived her whole life to make up for her parents' Sin and become a Valuable Asset to the world. She's so close to being given to a Legal and leaving the hall for good. And then Peter comes.

Peter's also a Surplus, and been on the Outside for most of his young life. He says he came to Grange Hall for one thing--to find Anna. He knows her parents and they want her back.

Now Anna has to decide who she's going to believe.

It's scary to think of this being a possible future. The story is well told and written. Anna's story is touching and heartbreaking.