If you've never picked up a book from Nashville native, Sharon Cameron, stop what you're reading right now and grab one! I had the opportunity to meet her at The Southeastern Young Adults Book Festival this past Spring and her insight into the craft of writing and inspirations for her novels were incredibly intriguing. I recommend her books to my higher readers who really appreciate great character development and a complex plot line. To be frank, I am pretty confident that adults would thoroughly enjoy her work, too (I mean . . .I did). Ergo, I am dedicating this blog post to three of her amazing YA masterpieces. Rook Have you ever abruptly (and semi-frequently) paused whilst reading a thrilling piece of fiction and said aloud, "This. Book. Is. So. Good!" I did this with Cameron's Rook. The setting of this novel is technically a futuristic version of Paris, BUT the city of love is in ruins, dilapidated from an unknown, catastrophic event. As a result, society has reverted back to a primitive time in which the guillotine and theocracy calls the shots. The poor and helpless are abound, and the rich are apathetic. Enter a mysterious and equally infamous vigilante who rescues the innocent and persecuted from their cells and leaves a red feather behind as a personal signature and taunting gesture to the corrupt government. Rich and poor alike can't stop raving about The Red Rook. He is constantly making headlines every week. Who is he? How does he pull it off? Little do the Parisians know that The Red Rook is actually Sophia Bellamy. Sophia is the daughter of a recently broke nobleman who has arranged for her daughter to marry the rich, handsome, and unbearable Rene Hasard - a young womanizer who happens to be related to the same government leaders that young Sophia so craftily outsmarts. As I reminisce on the action packed, witty, and suspenseful Rook, I can't help but feel an unrelenting urge to go read this book again! Teen and adults alike will devour this one. The Forgetting Imagine waking up one morning and not recognizing your own bedroom, your family, or even your own name. This is the exposition to Cameron's The Forgetting. Every person in the city of Canaan completely forgets everything significant to his or her identity every twelve years. Who you love (or hate), what you do for a living, even your own name - completely erased from existence. In order to preserve identity and order, citizens must write in their journals daily, including names and intimate details of their day to day lives. These private journals are literally tied to each citizen, so that when "the forgetting" comes, people have immediate access to their identities. They can relearn who they are and slowly rebuild. The problem is that Nadia, our mysteriously quiet protagonist, is somehow immune to the forgetting. She remembers everything - the chaos, violence, and even the painful abandonment of those who wish to rewrite their own history and "start again". With the next forgetting quickly approaching, Nadia begins to question the rigid rules of the society of Canaan, particularly the rules surrounding the forgetting and what is outside the walls that "protect" their village. As in any dystopian society, we know all too well that is it often dangerous to ask these questions! You will quickly become utterly absorbed into this strange world that doesn't seem too different from the setting of Lowry's The Giver; however, prepare yourself to be blindsided by a HUGE plot twist! School Library Journal recommends this YA gem to 8th graders and up. There's some violence and a complex plot, but nothing that would make me hesitate to give it to a mature 7th grader either. The KnowingA companion text to The Forgetting, The Knowing is set 400 years later.
It seems that the characters in "New Canaan" are suffering from the opposite problem - they cannot forget. Every experience, whether good or painful, will always feel fresh. Samara, the main character, has many traumatic memories that she struggles with everyday, including the death of her beloved brother. However, those who cannot show restraint with their emotions are considered weak. Samara's own parents reprimand the grief that Samara feels. In this tortured society where suicide is a common escape from Knowing, Samara ventures out in search of the mythical "Lost City of Canaan" where it is said there is a cure to "The Knowing". During her quest, she runs into Beckett who is also travelling in search of the same lost colony. However, Beckett has secrets of his own that will put Samara and everyone she knows in grave danger. The Knowing is a little darker than the first of this series, but they connect in a brilliant way that will take readers the entire book to figure out!
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First and foremost, I love Melissa Landers. Her writing is witty, relevant, and captivating. Her sci-fi books are accessible for even those who shudder at the genre because there's always elements of adventure, suspense, and romance. I just finished this, ahem, signed copy I have in my library. I couldn't snag it until summer because those hormonal teenage girls were eating this trilogy up. Cara is an over-achieving high school senior, and is one of three teenagers chosen to host the first ever intergalactic student exchange program with students from the planet L'eihr - an advanced version of the human species who made contact with Earth two years earlier. Although the aliens look identical to humans, they have completely different cultures and values. Insert Aelyx - a seemingly emotionless, boring, but oh-so-handsome teenage alien who is assigned to Cara for the entirety of the exchange program. Cara and Aelyx are nothing but acquaintances and classmates until an uprising rooted by alien fear harasses and threatens them both. By making sacrifices, protecting one another, and gaining an understanding for their differences, the unlikely pair begin to fall in love despite the countless obstacles standing in their way. Be ready for some steamy and descriptive kissing scenes. Landers doesn't take the physical romance further than that, but both characters suggest that they sure would like to do so! (insert flame emojis here) Obviously this is a Young Adult choice. If your teenage daughter, or you - no judgement here, enjoyed the likes of Matched and The Selection, this quick sci-fi romance is for you! Booklist Recommends Grades 7-11 Although set in Australia, the issues presented in this book speak volumes to our current political climate here in the United States. The writing quality isn't necessarily top notch, but the ideas and cultural conflicts in the book make it worth reading. I would describe this text as a modern day, politically driven Romeo and Juliet. Mina is a Afghan refugee that arrived in Australia by boat with the few remaining members of her family. Michael is the son of the Aussie Values political party founder - an organization made to push out immigrants and refugees that "take away" Australian jobs and "live off" honest citizen's tax dollars (see - I told you it was political). Although they are on opposing sides of the protest lines, they cannot help but feel an unmistakable chemistry. This connection causes Michael to question his own parents' values and beliefs. Soon, he is faced with making some tough decisions that will likely change the trajectory of his life. At times, it was difficult to read as it deals with some very real racism and the guilty parties face little to no repercussions for their actions and comments, but the book also helps give readers a sense of empathy for those who are persecuted for desiring a better life. I think its a strange concept for a teenager to realize that perhaps their parents views, the ones that they grew up never questioning, may merit criticism. Realizing that educated, responsible citizens are very capable of prejudice and bigotry is also a difficult pill to swallow. Current and conversation-worthy, I think teens would find this read both controversial and intriguing. Grade 9-12 (Booklist) 690L Winner of the Printz Award (2017), Scythe is a must read for Dystopian lovers. Typically the Printz award is given to unique, risqué, and boundary pushing texts, and Scythe is no exception. Because of its high interest and intriguing content, I can't keep this book on the shelves. Set in the future, humans can no longer die - society has cured any disease or fatal ailment. Even in a life threatening accident, humans can essentially resurrect themselves using modern technology. As a result, there is a substantial overpopulation problem. In order to remedy the problem, Earth has elected Scythes - people "honored" with the responsibility of "controlling" the population through, well, murder. If a scythe comes to your door, by law you must accept that your time has come. The opening scene is equally shocking and intriguing as a scythe comes to visit the home of the protagonist. The book is pretty violent and dark which can deter some readers and exhilarate others. Shusterman brings up a common conflict seen in a number of dystopian novels - humans are imperfect; Therefore, a system ruled by humans is defined to be flawed. Through alternating points of view, the reader learns that the two protagonists, Citra and Rowan, are each chosen to become scythes in training. They are each given a veteran mentor to follow and learn from. As they go through their journey, and perfect their "craft", they also learn how certain individuals can gravely corrupt the system. The many questions this book raises about life, death, and human nature make it an outstanding high school English novel. Literally every academic book acquisition source has dubbed this one a "must read", and as long as your not adverse to the dark and violent, I would agree! School Library Journal suggests Grade 8 & up. Lexile: 830L |
Kaitlyn Benavides, M.Ed
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