Entries Tagged 'Science Fiction' ↓
July 11th, 2010 — 4.5-5 Treasure Chests, Book Review, M-O, Romance, School Situations, Science Fiction
by First Mate Keira
Title: Academy 7
Author: Anne Osterlund
Format: Trade Paperback
Page Count: 259
Grade Reading Level: Grade 8 +
Summary: Academy 7 is like Star Wars meets Harry Potter. Two kids, Aerin and Dane, must overcome great odds to attend and survive their first year in the universe’s most prestigious school. Aerin must hide her true background, that of a fugitive slave from an X-Level planet. Dane must outwit his father, one of the Alliance's most powerful leaders, who loathes him and favors his elder brother. Both are excellent students and compete for top grade in every class. Trickery abounds and their only hope is to navigate it together.
Why I started this book:
I bought Academy 7 for something to read on a road trip.
Likes:
- The world-building is swift, complete, and extremely interesting. It’s fun to see that in a world so advanced there’s still budget problems which result in a crumbling school that still manages to keep and maintain advance computers. I can’t wait to see how certain factors play out.
- Aerin is a strong female character. She excels at computers and fighting, attributes rarely given to heroines. She’s also fragile, constantly worried about exposure. She comes to realize she knows almost nothing about her parents and with Dane’s help is determined to unlock the secret.
- Dane is the typical cocky good-looking rich and popular boy. His life however isn’t as pretty as it seems. His father hates him and he’s not entirely sure why. The only planet he has called home until school, isn’t a place he can ever return to—not if he wants to live to see another day.
- I loved the fighting classes. Aerin whipping Dane over and over again is really quite fun. I also like that Dane isn’t so insecure about it. He actually proposes a deal to help her learn Alliance history in exchange for more beat downs (training to be a better fighter).
Dislikes:
- I think the mean girl of the school was dropped a little too soon. I don’t know who is going to take her place and cause friction in the future.
Last Minute Thoughts: Academy 7 is the possible start of a trilogy (woohoo!), but the author has admitted it takes her a lot of time to write her stories and currently she is working on a sequel to another story. I hope she finishes it soon because I want to know what happens next for Aerin and Dane.
Buy: Academy 7
Rating: 4.5 Treasure Chests
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June 23rd, 2010 — 4.5-5 Treasure Chests, Book Review, Fantasy, S-T, Science Fiction
by Captain Lyaf Yarr
Title: The Dark Side of Nowhere
Author: Neal Shusterman
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 192
Grade Reading Level: Grades 6-9
Summary: Jason has always lived in the same town his whole life and thinks it's so boring. But when Jason's friend, Ethan dies from a burst appendicitis everything changes. Not only is everyone sad that he's gone but something really weird happens. Grant, the janitor tells Jason that Ethan isn't dead. Is he right? How is that possible? Then Jason is given a robotic-like glove by Grant and finds out that his whole life has been a lie. Everybody he knows, including himself, are aliens!
Why I Started the Book:
I started this book because it was a book we were reading in class before school got out for the year. We didn't get to finish it so I decided to cheek it out of the library.
Likes:
- The writing in this book was phenomenal! I was at the end of my seat after every chapter. I could understand how the characters felt and their whole experience. It was like I was there in the same situation.
- I liked how his parents never lied. He told Jason the truth about them through a bedtime story, he just didn't know it was true.
- The cover of this book is way awesome and fits the suspenseful haunting quality of the story.
- The book's main point is what it means to be human.
Last minute thoughts: I wouldn't suggest anyone under sixth grade read this book. It's very dark and I don't know if they would understand everything or just be completely creeped out.
Neal Shusterman is my favorite author at the moment! I look forward to reading more of his books!
Buy: The Dark Side of Nowhere
Book Rating: I give this book 5 treasure chests!
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June 11th, 2010 — 4.5-5 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Book Review, G-I, S-T, School Situations, Science Fiction, Social Issues, Steampunk, YA Genre
by First Mate Keira
Title: Knightley Academy
Author: Violet Haberdasher (aka Robyn Schneider)
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 469
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Summary: The Midsummer School for Boys is cursed. Not a single student has been accepted to Knightley Academy in years… and this year is no different as a servant boy is the one called to knighthood.
Knightley Academy explores social and national prejudices. The world has overtones of racism, classism, religious intolerance, and more. The world is stable for now but is on the cusp of change and I have a feeling Henry and his friends will be that change.
Why I started this book:
I came by this book in a completely random fashion. I saw this huge fat spine on the new YA releases bookshelves at the library while searching for something for my sisters. Picked it up, read the cover, said to self – sounds like Harry Potter without magic! Checked out. Consumed.
Likes:
- The quartet: Henry Grim (first commoner ever allowed training to become a knight), Frankie Winter (a finishing school dropout), Roham Mehta (an Indian boy adopted into a wealthy ducal family), and Adam Beckerman (a Jewish boy skilled with a foil.)
- Lord Havelock, the military professor and head teacher for the first years. He reminds me of Snape, but far more fair and willing to own his errors. I particularly enjoy his Havelook of Doom +2.*
- The Victorian England Steampunk world filled with the odd combination of progress and backwardness.
- Valmont: he’s a bully but he’s not a complete ninnyhead.
- Knight classes! Military History is just the beginning --- one of my favorite classes next to Fencing and Languages.
- The Inter-School Competition and Henry’s discovery of a super secret hidden room that spells out T-R-O-U-B-L-E and gives the trilogy its long plot arc.
(* Doom +2 is a card in the Munchkin
card game.)
Last Minute Thoughts: If you’ve read Harry Potter and liked it, you will like this novel. The books have parallels but they are not the same story. Haberdasher will surprise you with her twists and turns. This is a perfect story for boys, but girls will like it just as much!
Buy: Knightley Academy
Rating: 5 Treasure Chests
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May 17th, 2010 — 4.5-5 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, D-F, Fantasy, Guest Review, Science Fiction, YA Genre
by Bookwatch, guest reviewer
Title: A Girl Named Disaster
Author: Nancy Farmer
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 320 pages
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Summary: This is a story about an African girl whose mother was killed by a leopard, whose father had gone away, and who soon will be married to a cruel man who already has three wives. She is only 11 years old, but she posses an intelligence, curiosity, and intuition far beyond her years. She is protected by her grandmother who encourages her to escape from Mozambique to Zimbabwe, a journey alone on a river in a stolen boat that should take her only 2 days. She instead gets turned around and it takes her many months to reach her destination. Along the way she has to overcome incredible dangers and learn to survive alone.
Why I Started this book:
As you know I am a big fan of Newberry Honor books. I would like to recommend another Newberry Honor book for your Young Adult Fiction list. It is called A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer. It was published in 1996 by Puffin Books.
Likes:
- All along her journey she learns and communicates with the mystical spirits who guide and encourage her. I felt like these were symbols of her own courage, confidence, and intuition.
- As she journeys, she finds her value, home, and freedom.
- This book attributes her survival and triumph to spirit forces. I felt that her suvival was the result of her own intuition and the love of her grandmother, who, even though she wasn't with her, had given her a sense of who she was as a person, who her mother was, and why she was valued and should value herself.
- Her own intelligence, imagination, and curiousity were sources of courage and strength, always with her, always taking her to the next step she should take.
Last Minute Thoughts: I give A Girl Named Disaster your highest ranking.
Buy: A Girl Named Disaster
Rating: 5 Treasure Chests
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May 2nd, 2010 — 2.5-3 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, G-I, Guest Review, Science Fiction, YA Genre
by Cook Cutlery, guest reviewer
Title: George’s Secret Key to the Universe
Author: Lucy and Stephen Hawking
Format: Paperback
# of pages: 295
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Summary: It all starts one day when George was going to feed his pet pig, Freddy, that he got on Christmas one year and found that Freddy was missing. Thus begins the search for him which ends in this old abandoned house. George meets Eric who lives in the house with his daughter, Annie, and he shows him Cosmos, the most powerful computer in the world. Before Eric can show George what Cosmos can do, he has to swear not to tell anyone about it. George is dumbfounded by what he sees Cosmos do. Then the next day by mistake George tells his teacher Dr. Reeper (nice name huh?) about Cosmos which then leads to many other problems.
Like:
- The main ideas of the story such as George trying to find his pet pig, or helping Annie find her missing father that got lost and George trying to win the science fair at his school so he can get a computer, something he has always wanted.
- The illustrations drawn by Gary Parson are very cute. I like the style and the kids look like how I pictured they would look.
- The scientific picture files that are through out the book that talked about astronomy such as the planets, stars, and black holes.
- The little sideline summaries that are scattered throughout the book. They talk about science and the universe. For example: what is a comet?
Dislike:
- The way Ringo and his boys act. I know I'm not supposed to like them, but I thought they were really mean because at some parts they would chase George home or they would take stuff of his when he wasn’t looking. I'd hate it if someone did that to me.
- Mr. Reeper, who wants to use Cosmos for evil. Not my favorite character by any stretch of the imagination. He wants to use Cosmos to gain control of the universe so that he can become king of the universe. No Noble Peace Prize for him!
- That Eric doesn’t believe George when George tries to tell him that the letter he got about a place that could support the human race was actually from his evil teacher, Graham Reeper (Dr. Reeper).
Buy: George's Secret Key to the Universe (Paperback)
Rating: I would give this book 3 out of 5 treasure chests. It was a good book. I enjoyed it a lot.
Originally posted 2010-01-01 03:28:36.
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