The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi

Worldcat Summary: 

After surviving horrific conditions in the Maze, Thomas is entrapped, along with nineteen other boys, in a scientific experiment designed to observe their responses and gather data believed to be essential for the survival of the human race. 

Bookskoetter Rating:=4/5

Bookskoetter Review: 

This is the sequel to the Maze Runner.  I actually finished it a couple of days after the Maze Runner, but am late in reviewing it!  As with the first book, I felt it was creative, interesting, and fast-paced, even if the dialogue was a little obnoxious at times.  The ending will leave readers dying to know what happens next, but provides enough resolution to prevent readers from being frustrated.  I have the Death Cure on hold, but it may be awhile before I get my hands on it!  Keep your eyes out for a review in the coming weeks!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Dystopian / Sci-Fi

Worldcat Summary: 

Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape. 

Bookskoetter Rating:=4/5

Bookskoetter Review: 

Yay!  Another good book! (Three in a row - wow!)  I know, I am definitely behind-the-times on reading this book, but it was worth the wait!  It is actually a current Truman Award nominee (for grades 6-8), and I have to say I did find it to be the language and dialogue to be a little less sophisticated than some of the high school novels that I have read recently.  However, the plot is face-paced, intriguing, and action-packed, and so many of my high school students have raved to me about this book that I don't think the audience is limited to middle schoolers.  This is the first in a trilogy by Dashner, followed by the Scorch Trials (which I am about halfway through!) and the Death Cure.  I would recommend this series to fans of dystopian and adventure stories, especially those that enjoyed the Hunger Games.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Realistic / Historical Fiction

Worldcat Summary: 

An angry, grieving seventeen-year-old musician facing expulsion from her prestigious Brooklyn private school travels to Paris to complete a school assignment and uncovers a diary written during the French revolution by a young actress attempting to help a tortured, imprisoned little boy--Louis Charles, the lost king of France.

Bookskoetter Rating:=4/5

Bookskoetter Review: 

Another great read!  I was thrilled when I heard that this book had made it to the 2012-2013 Gateway nominee list.  I was told that this novel fit in to the "historical fiction" genre, and was surprised when it began as a realistic fiction, angry-musician-with-issues novel.  The previously mentioned angry girl is refreshingly intelligent, and finds a diary written by an important figure who lived during the French Revolution during her and her father's stay with a French historian in Paris.  Forgive me for sounding cliche, but I have to say that Donnelly does a fantastic job of making history "come to life" for readers. The novel is a well-written, rich tale with characters that readers will be able to relate to.  My only complaints are that the end ties together a little too nicely, and the protagonist can be annoying angsty at times.  However, I would still recommend this novel, especially to fans of historical fiction, and to fans of novels featuring characters dealing with serious issues.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Dystopian / Fantasy

Worldcat Summary: To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.

 
Bookskoetter Rating:=4.5/5

Bookskoetter Review: 
What a fantastic book!  I listened to it on audio book, and could hardly keep myself out of my car.  In fact, I brought the audio book inside and listened to it while I did housework (I did a lot of housework for a couple of days, just so I could listen to it!).  I even tried doing yoga do it, but the thrilling tale does not exactly lend itself to relaxation. This book will keep readers on the edge of their seats, and intrigued with the compelling world that somehow manages to seem both futuristic and archaic.  I would definitely recommend this novel to readers who enjoy fantasy, science fiction / dystopian, and adventure novels!

Sea by Heidi Kling

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Realistic fiction

Worldcat Summary: 

Despite recurring nightmares about her mother's death and her own fear of flying, fifteen-year-old Sienna accepts her father's birthday gift to fly to Indonesia with his team of disaster relief workers to help victims of a recent tsunami, never suspecting that this experience will change her life forever.

Bookskoetter Rating:=2.5/5

Bookskoetter Review: 

Those who have been reading my reviews for awhile know that I am not a huge fan of realistic fiction, especially when the plot is centered on a love story.  Therefore, it is quite natural for me to rate this novel a little lower than it probably deserves.  The story is actually pretty interesting.  It is full of Indonesian cultural tidbits, and reminds me of the culture shock that I experienced when I studied abroad in college.  It does feature a fairly mushy love story, is a bit dramatic, and has an ending that ties up a little too nicely.  Nevertheless, I would recommend this novel to teens who enjoy realistic fiction with love, multiculturalism, and drama.

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Audience: Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Worldcat Summary: 

A wealthy sorcerer's invitation to sing with his automaton leads seventeen-year-old Nimira, whose family's disgrace brought her from a palace to poverty, into political intrigue, enchantments, and a friendship with a fairy prince who needs her help.

Bookskoetter Rating:=3/5

Bookskoetter Review: 

I actually finished reading this book about a three weeks ago, and am just now reviewing it.  When I was reading the book, I remember finding the plot interesting and fairly fast-paced.  However, now that I am actually reviewing it, I am having a difficult time truly remembering what it was about.  This is partly due to the fact that I read four books in one week (I was sick with the stomach flu during Thanksgiving Break).  Another factor, however, is that while the book was good, it wasn't particularly memorable.  I would recommend it to fantasy fans, especially those that aren't necessarily interested in classic fantasies (dwarves, elves, etc...), but who enjoy books like Fire and Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

MASL Announces the 2012-2013 Gateway Nominees!

Yesterday, MASL (Missouri Association of School Librarians) announced next year's Gateway nominees! This is a big deal in school-library land. It's also kind of a big deal for me, since I got to help by being a reader selector this year. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish all 26 of the potential nominees, and definitely wasn't able to blog about all of the books I did read. I need to play catch up on my book blogging!

Anyways, here are the 15 Gateway award nominees for the 2012-2013 school year! (Copy/pasted from MASL's website)

Author	Title	Publisher
Cameron, W. Bruce	A Dog's Purpose	Forge Books
Matson, Morgan	Amy & Roger's Epic Detour	Simon & Schuster
Oliver, Lauren	Before I Fall	HarperTeen
Hautman, Pete	Blank Confession	Simon & Schuster
Schroeder, Lisa	Chasing Brooklyn	Simon & Schuster
John, Antony	Five Flavors of Dumb	Dial Books
Condie, Ally	Matched	Dutton Juvenile
Donnelly, Jennifer	Revolution	Delacorte Press
Maberry, Jonathan	Rot and Ruin	Simon & Schuster
Elkeles, Simone	Rules of Attraction	Walker & Co.
Kling, Heidi	Sea	Putnam Juvenile
Bacigalupi, Paolo	Ship Breaker	Little Brown and Company
Quick, Matthew	Sorta Like a Rock Star	Little Brown and Company
Avasthi, Swati	Split	Knopf
Nelson, Jandy	The Sky is Everywhere	Dial Books