Category Archives: Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

The Maze Runner
James Dashner
Delacorte Press
Published October 6, 2009

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With limited memories of his previous life, Thomas arrives in a frightening world, trapped in a hostile maze with fifty other boys. Before he is fully acclimated to his new home, an unprecedented event occurs: a girl arrives, claiming she will be the last person to join them before collapsing into a coma. Thomas reels,feeling that this girl is familiar to him. He can’t stop thinking about her or feeling an intense desire to become a Runner, a member of the elite group of boys who set out into the maze daily, attempting to create a map to the exit.

When the group’s leader, and the leader of the Runners become trapped in the maze, Thomas rushes in to rescue them without considering the consequences: a night surrounded by fierce monsters called Grievers. As he struggles to survive the night, Thomas begins to understand what the boys must do in order to escape the maze. When the girl confesses that she has triggered the ending of the way of life the boys endure, Thomas realizes they must make their move now.

Though the opening is clouded with the intense confusion of the protagonist, the story and its world eventually becomes more clear, and readers are able to invest in Thomas and his friends. In addition to the unique dystopian setting, Dashner creates language used by the boys in place of profanity. While cleverly conceived, the words are overused to the point of obnoxiousness. The Maze Runner contains some dark elements. For instance, a Griever’s sting causes its victim to have a mental breakdown and to experience horrible memories from the past. Grievers attack the boys, and sometimes each other. However, the relationships between the characters are touching and the story’s tension builds steadily. The twist ending makes it difficult for readers not to immediately begin the second installment of the series.

The movie based on the book The Maze Runner is expected to hit the big screen in September 2014.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. Characters use alternate words in place of swearing.

Sexual Content
When the girl arrives, a few of the boys make comments claiming her. Before anyone can lay a hand on her, the leader makes it clear that harming her in any way will not be tolerated.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Half-machine, half-animal creatures called Grievers roam the maze at night, attacking and stinging any boys in their paths. Stings cause a reaction referred to as the Changing, which can cause some mad or violent outbursts.

Drug Content
A serum must be taken to save anyone stung by a Griever.

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Ten Books I Can’t Wait to Read

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Historical, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

Outcasts by Jill Williamson

Release date: 1/7/14

Three brothers and a young girl fight for survival within the towering walls of the Safe Lands. Despite its name, the city is ravaged with disease and infested with corruption. Each brother follows a mission: to find a cure for the sick; to free the captives; to take down the Safe Lands in a rebellion.

The second in her Safe Lands series, Outcasts is quickly earning a reputation as an intense story set in a captivating world. As a fan of Williamson’s fantasy series, Blood of Kings, I’ve been eager to get lost in another story by this worthy author.

The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Release date: 11/9/13

Lonely Gisela spends her days serving her stepmother and grasping at memories of a happier childhood. When a handsome Duke throw a grand ball, Gisela is determined to attend and to have one last glimpse of the beauty of her past.

Dickerson won my heart as a reader with her debut novel The Healer’s Apprentice, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The beautiful simplicity of the story and the lovely characters she creates are difficult to resist. I am eager to get my eyes on her latest happily ever after story, inspired by the familiar tale of Cinderella in The Captive Maiden.

 

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

Expected release date: 2/4/14

The third novel in the Lunar Chronicles series, Cress follows the story of a girl briefly mentioned in the series’ acclaimed story, Cinder. The story features unforgettable cast members, including Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf and the dreadful Queen Levana.

With Meyer’s gift for a perfect meld of sci-fi and fairy tales retold, this series is one not to miss. Cinder was a fabulous story and very clean content-wise. I’m very hopeful to find Cress to be another gem.

 

Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Expected release date: 2/25/14

The day of Lady Daylily’s wedding draws near. Unlike the princesses of fairy tales, she will wed not her true love, but his awkward and foolish cousin. Daylily has always been the dutiful daughter. This time, however, she rebels, disappearing into the legendary Wilderlands and the land of Faerie. Though not her true love, her betrothed pursues her into peril, determined to rescue her.

If you’ve followed my blog long, you’ll be familiar with this name. Stengl continually amazes me with her brilliant characters and sharp dialogue. She possesses an elusive ability to seamlessly draw symbolism into her stories without distracting from the tales. Shadow Hand revisits a fascinating character from an earlier novel in the Tales of Goldstone Wood called Veiled Rose. I can hardly wait until this one hits the shelves.

 

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Release date: 2/1/11

A young Japanese boy dreams of one day being a Samurai warrior It seems impossible, since he is the son of a fisherman. When he is stranded and then rescued by sailors on an American vessel, Manjiro begins a grand journey that will take him across the globe.

I stumbled upon this inspired-by-history novel on a rack of books for sale at the public library last summer and was immediately intrigued. My mother recently added it to her library, and has raved about the craftsmanship of the story and the power in its telling. I may have to snag this one as soon as she finishes the last page.

 

Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Release date: 3/25/14

From the author who penned The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an unforgettable tale of two boys who become unlikely friends during World War II comes an intriguing story about the son of a World War I soldier. His father promises not to go away, but then he leaves on a secret mission. Four years later, the boy discovers that his father is being treated in a local hospital. He vows to find his father and bring him home. I’m hopeful to find this novel every bit as engrossing and moving as Boyne’s WW II story.

 

 

Interrupted by Rachel Coker

Release date: 3/27/12

In the midst of the Great Depression, Allie’s whole life implodes. Her mother succumbs to illness and Allie is sent to a new family far away. Still lost in her grief, Allie isolates herself from the new family faces around her. The last person she hopes to see is the one she blames for her mother’s death, but her former best friend isn’t going to let Allie off so easily. Interrupted landed on my reading list when it was nominated as a finalist for the 2013 Christy Award.

 

 

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

Release date: 9/17/13

Henkes captured my household with his delightful children’s stories about two charming mice in Chrysanthemum and Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse. The quirky characters and layers of humor meant for adult and child alike made these oft-repeated bed-time tales. I was thrilled to see this book announced and can’t wait to see what glories he brings to middle grade fiction.

 

 

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Expected release date: 3/25/14

Piper scrapes out a meager existence by finding and selling scraps on Meteor Fields. When she finds a strange girl amidst the flotsam, she immediately recognizes the mark that changes everything. The girl’s arm bears the Mark of the Dragonfly, an emblem which means her return home will mean a payday to trump paydays for Piper, if she can just get there. Thus begins a grand adventure.

Something about the description of this book reminds me of the magical world created by Marissa Meyer in the Lunar Chronicles. Without having read the book, it’s difficult to say whether this is an accurate hunch. But two girls on a dangerous journey, one returning to the past and the other grasping at the only hope for her future… what’s not to like? I’m intrigued.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Release date: 5/20/09

This book may well turn out to be one of those good ones that somehow slipped past unnoticed. I’ve heard some buzz about it lately, and since it was first recommended to me by a friend, I’m more curious than ever to get into this story set in a world in which parents of a child who reaches the age of thirteen have the ability to choose whether to keep the child or to have them “unwound,” and essentially destroyed.

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Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

The 5th Wave
Rick Yancey
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Published May 7, 2013

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Most of the human population has been decimated by the first four waves of a highly intelligent alien attack. Though no one has learned to identify the enemy, the ominous shape of the mother ship hovering in the sky above the earth strikes fear in the hearts of the few who survive.

Sixteen year-old Cassie trusts no one. She survives by moving from place to place, reliving the past, when the most terrible conflict she faced was her unrequieted affection for Ben, fellow student and popular athlete. Now Cassie simply bides her time until she can no longer run from the last promise she made. A promise to rescue the last person alive whom she loves. When something sinister begins tracking Cassie, she knows she can’t hide for long. Her best option is to find cover and prepare a counter-attack, one that will hopefully end her pursuer before he can end her. But when Cassie finally faces her enemy, she discovers that things are much more complicated than she could have imagined.

Ben has lost everyone dear to him. Then he is rescued by a special forces group and trained to fight the alien invaders. Revenge seems just within his grasp, but something isn’t right. And the more Ben thinks about it, the less certain he is about who he is really working for.

One might think a story which begins with a girl wandering the woods remembering the recent past would be uneventful, but Yancey’s novel is anything but. Though the flashback sequences can be lengthy, they paint a picture of a world totally unprepared for the cunning enemy it faces, a world which quickly falls into destruction. As Cassie and Ben pursue survival and revenge, they learn values of self-sacrifice and trust. The plot is packed with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader eager for just one more chapter all the way through the end.

Cassie and Ben’s story will continue in The Infinite Sea. The sequel is scheduled for release September 16, 2014.

Language Content
Extreme usage, mild frequency.

Sexual Content
As Cassie and her peers gather in the high school gym and rumors of the end of the world circulate, a friend suggests that Cassie approach her long-time crush and ask him to have sex with her, because, well, the world is about to end, so what does she have to lose? Cassie doesn’t follow this suggestion, but as survival becomes less of a guarantee, many people experience a shift in moral values. Cassie does spend some time kissing a boy and sleeping next to him.

Spiritual Content
The events of Cassie’s life cause her to ponder whether or not God exists. More questions than conclusions.

Violence
Alien attacks become more direct and devastating as the story progresses. One wave consists of a deadly disease which in late stages causes bleeding from all orifices. Yuck. Some battle scenes and weaponry are described in graphic detail. Children are recruited as soldiers and are both treated brutally as well as commit some brutal acts in the course of training.

Drug Content
No recreational drug content.

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Review: Aquifer by Jonathan Friesen

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Aquifer
Jonathan Friesen
Blink YA
Published August 6, 2013

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Fifteen year-old Luca has grown up with a heavy burden of responsibility on his shoulders. In a world plagued by drought, only his father has the knowledge and ability to journey deep underground and negotiate with the fearsome people known as water rats for another year’s supply of water to be pumped up to earth’s surface. Luca painstakingly memorizes his father’s instructions to navigate the caves below, for one day it will fall to him to make that lonely, life-preserving journey as the Deliverer.

Life on the earth’s surface is carefully monitored and controlled by the Council of Nine and their representatives, called Amongus, who sniff out any dissenters or citizens who cannot master their emotions. Those who cannot obey the law are “undone,” taken out to the middle of the ocean and drowned.

As the day approaches for Luca’s father to make the long journey into the dark, Luca discovers a hidden treasure, one the Amongus would surley destroy. Luca’s father begins his trek to negotiate for water before Luca has a chance to show his father the secret treasure. When his father does not return at the scheduled time, Luca’s world is thrown into chaos. Suddenly he is the new Deliverer and he does not have his father to guide him any longer. But it seems the Amongus have other plans for Lucas and the future water supply, and Luca must move quickly if he is to escape entanglement in their deadly traps. In order to flee, Luca must embrace a faith which doesn’t make sense to him, and dare to behold a world beyond the one the Amongus have confined him in. One in which water rats are not twisted monsters and beauty is not a thing to be feared.

In this novel Friesen brings powerful prose to a story that is sort of Waterworld meets The Giver. Aquifer allows readers to experience a raw longing and searching for faith and universal truth. At every turn, Luca experiences the struggle to sort allies from enemies, and as chaos and desperation bring out both the best and worst in those around him, discerning friend from foe is no easy task. Over all this is a really enjoyable story with a lot of suspense and a little bit of romance. Fans of dystopian fiction will find this one a worthy addition to their reading lists.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
A few brief kisses.

Spiritual Content
Religion is outlawed, but some citizens (referred to as Wishers) secretly pray to a Creator and believe they hear guidance and direction from him.
Violence
Brief battle scenes between Amongus enforcers and Luca and his supporters.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: The Amazing Adventures of Toby the Trilby

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, ,

The Amazing Adventures of Toby the Trilby
Angela Castillo
CreateSpace Independent
Published October 17, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When an unknown Voice beckons to Toby to leave his home in the caves and seek others on the earth’s surface, Toby can’t help but obey. His caretakers, scientists who’ve created him from a melding of human and cat DNA, pack supplies for Toby and allow him to leave their care. Though the scientists have had no word from earth’s surface for a long time, they prepare him as best they can and respect his desire to choose his own path in life.

On his journey Toby meets many human survivors, many of whom are cruel or mentally damaged in some way. While at the outset of the story, it seems the Voice leads him on some kind of evangelistic mission, Toby’s real quest is to discover somehow whether being born in a test tube means he has a soul or not. In a sort of burning-bush type of meeting with the Voice, he learns the truth of this question.

This is a short, fairly simple story which may appeal to preteens struggling with issues of self-worth and spirituality. The plot develops loosely, leaving some threads unfinished, but Toby’s innocence and compassion are admirable and endearing traits that draw readers into the story and open dialogue about injustice and personal value.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Toby begins a journey outside the caves in which he has lived his life at the request of a Voice he continues to hear throughout the story. He realizes the speaker is God and makes a commitment to follow Him.

Violence
Renegade children surround Toby and threaten to cut off his cat tail. He escapes before they can harm him.

Drug Content
After Toby is injured, he wishes for quick-healing medicine his caretakers provided for him when he lived in the cave.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: The Rebel Within by Lance Erlick

Book Review and Content, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

The Rebel Within
Lance Erlick
Finlee Augare Books
Published on March 25, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

When Annabelle attacks an opposing team member at a basketball game, she faces dire consequences. Though she is a volunteer with the police force, she may be sent to a rehabilitation facility far from home and the younger sister she dearly loves. Annabelle’s only alternative is to join a fierce group of government agents called Mechs. All she wants for herself is a quiet life as a restaurant owner and a place to keep her adopted sister safe.

In Annabelle’s world men are exiled, quarantined or forced to fight to the death in the annual games which serve as final training for Mech operatives, so when a group of boys escape from an enclosed school, Mechs and cops alike are called to the hunt. Annabelle can’t suppress her curiosity about men. Her feelings about them are so different than her feelings for women, and she wonders if this is strange. When she is faced with an escapee, Annabelle knows she should turn him in and follow the rules. The only problem: she is anything but a rule-following girl. Helping the boy escape will endanger everyone she loves and rocket Annabelle to a place of impossible life and death decisions.

Erlick creates an imaginative dystopian world in which men are exiled and women rule all. Despite harmony ranking as highest virtue, the government trains up powerful forces to destroy anyone who breaks the rules or bears a Y chromosome. Disaster lurks around every turn, and one can’t help but be drawn into the dilemmas Annabelle faces.

Though the possible romantic pull between Annabelle and the redheaded boy she rescues is never really developed, her compassion and valor are endearing. Dystopian fans will likely call this one a winner.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Moderate profanity and frequency.

Sexual Content
Annabelle lives in a society largely without men. Children are often born as a result from a procedure which combines two eggs from mothers. Annabelle’s mother has two wives. After drinking too much at a party, Annabelle wakes up the next morning with a girl. She also has a close but ambiguous relationship with her adopted sister. Others tease them about being lovers, but no graphic details are given about whether or not the two are physically involved.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Annabelle’s government has tracked her to employment in a security job, either as a cop or a mech, a member of a special operatives group known for their deadliness. Annabelle’s training is pretty die-hard, but the author doesn’t give many graphic details about the girls’ injuries.

Drug Content
Annabelle’s rival hosts wild parties at her plantation home. Annabelle goes sometimes, but usually does not drink alcohol with the girls. (See Sexual Content for exception.) The leader of the mech training program uses powerful medication on the girls which heal serious injuries overnight and makes them infertile. Side effects aren’t specified, but it’s no secret that these are not safe/approved medicines.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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