Series: Endgame (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: James Frey (US)
PUBLISHED: HarperCollins ; 2014.
PAGES/ILL: ~460 pages.
SERIES: Endgame. The Calling, Sky Key, (third book title TBA).
TIE-INS: Website, Game, Movie.

PLOT: (First book: The Calling)
At the beginning of civilisation on Earth, "They" descended from the sky. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilisations to mine it for them. Then They left, but they told the the 12 lines of the human race that they would be back, and when they did, a game would be played, with a teenaged Player from each line. For ten thousand years the lines have each had a Player prepared at all times. They have trained generation after generation after generation. In weapons, languages, history, tactics, disguise assassination. Together the players are everything: strong, kind, ruthless, loyal, smart, stupid, ugly, lustful, mean, fickle, beautiful, calculating, lazy, exuberant, weak.
Now the game has started. It started in death and will end in death, with only one winner. The one whose line will continue. The Players must find three Keys, in order. In the first book, The Calling, they are searching for the first, Earth Key. Some bonds will form. Some Players will die.

REVIEW:
This book is like the Hunger Games with aliens. Teenagers who like maths and geography will particularly like it. The books, together with the accompanying website, give clues so that the reader can play along with the characters to solve the puzzles. In fact, there is a competition where if you solve all the clues you can win half a million dollars! (Competition ends on or before October 7, 2016).
This is a book that would probably need librarians to promote it, especially to teens who are interested in codes and puzzles.

Overall, it's an appealing dystopia for sci-fi fans.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Science fiction, Dystopia, Adventure.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Series: The True Trilogy (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Gary Meehan (UK)
PUBLISHED: Quercus ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 390 pages.
SERIES: True Trilogy.
BOOK 1: True Fire.

PLOT: (Book 1: True Fire)
When Megan's village is destroyed by witches, she goes searching for her twin sister, believing her to be kidnapped. Together with new friends, she discovers that what she was taught about the witches and the history of her land is laden with secrets and falsehood, created by priests who will do anything to protect their power. As she uncovers the truth, she realises that her sister hides an even darker secret. Her sister is actually leading the witches (who, incidentally, don't use magic - at least, not in the first book), believing that her child, together with Megan's child, will lead the witches to rule the world.

REVIEW:
This story didn't grab me. The plot is ok. The writing is ok (but could be better). It has its moments, but overall, the story drags and character development feels forced at times. Megan has basically never held a sword in her life but all of a sudden is killing people left right and centre. I wouldn't recommend it, but a 15 year old might find it exciting. It is part of a trilogy, so perhaps the story gets better as it goes. I'm not going to waste my time to find out.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Fantasy.
RATING: 2 1/2 stars. It's average. Nothing brilliant.

Prince of Afghanistan (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Louis Nowra (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Allen & Unwin ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 162 pages.

PLOT:
When a rescue mission goes horribly wrong, an Australian soldier and a dog must embark on a journey to safety. Working their way through rough terrain and enemy territory, they depend on each other to survive.

REVIEW:
Written in the first person, present tense, this is a story with strong themes of endurance and survival in war. The bond between man and dog grows stronger as their journey progresses, which touches the heart strings at times. It provides a small glimpse into one view of the war in Afghanistan. Themes include war, soldiers, dogs, survival and death as well as family relations (a mother's death) and drug use. It would be a book you could read aloud in a high school class with discussion of the themes.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Series: Death & Co. (Fic)

AUTHOR: McCune, D.J. (Ireland)
PUBLISHED: Hot Key Books, c2013.
PAGES/ILL: 279 pages
SERIES: Frankie Death & Co.
FIRST BOOK: Death & Co.

PLOT:
Lumen are charged with guiding souls down their Light after death. Luman can move fairly freely between the real world and the Hinterland where they meet the souls. Adam belongs to a Luman family, but he's not sure he wants the job. He likes being 'normal' - having friends, going to schools, and beginning to date girls. But Adam has a special gift, and when he starts to embrace it, he realises he can change more than his own destiny. But not without a price...

REVIEW:
This is one of those books which, for the most part, I liked, but which didn't live up to potential. Some parts of the story I'd give a strong 4 stars. Other parts get a 2.
For the potential appeal to children, I give it 4 stars.

The premise of the plot (adapting the 'Ferryman' folklore) is great and it's such a pity that the author didn't do it justice. The target audience is supposed to be teen, but it reads more like a middle grade book.

I found Adam and his friends fairly juvenile. A sub-plot has Adam and his friends playing pranks on a head teacher, fooling and humiliating him. The story shows this teacher as a bully and dumb enough to fall for the pranks - a very juvenile idea. This sub-plot was not necessary and just took time away from the main story line (exploring the world of the Lumen). Sure, it introduced us to the 'normal' part of Adam's life, but it wasn't done particularly well. It felt too lower and middle grade (Captain Underpants-esque) compared to the other themes (you'd think a boy who has grown up with the responsibility of helping souls move on after death would have a little more maturity).

There were missed opportunities for character development and world-building. Children won't notice the lack of development so much, but it would have contributed making the book higher quality (obviously).

Overall, I did enjoy reading the book and will read the next one. Unfortunately, it could have been so much more (hopefully the next book/s will build a bit more guts into the story line).

I can see that it does have appeal for children (suitable age depends on the child). While it's promoted for YA, it's more pre-adolescent (9 or 10+), although you'd have to know the 9 y.o to know how much 'death' is ok for them (for example, in one scene Adam and his family are in the Hinterland, helping souls who have just been mass-executed in a military coup). It's for kids who have moved way beyond Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Captain Underpants, but are no where near ready for Hunger Games. It's about on par with the early Harry Potters or Skulduggery Pleasants.

AGE: 9-14.
GENRE: Fantasy fiction.
RATING: 3 1/2 - 4 stars.

My Brother's Secret (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Dan Smith (UK)
PUBLISHED: London : Chicken House, c2014.

PLOT:
Germany, 1941. 12-year-old Karl Engel is looking forward to joining the Hitler Youth, like all boys his age.

But when his father is killed, and his family moves in with his grandparents, he discovers things that leave his faith in the Führer shaken. Everyone seems to know something he doesn't. When he joins his brother in rebellion, his life will never be the same.

REVIEW:
This book is very interesting (I read it on my lunch break over a week and it was very difficult to get back to work :) ), and could be recommended to reluctant readers and to tweens/teens interested in history. It could be included on the reading list when introducing WW2 - certainly it lends itself to further discussion about Germany and the war, and how it may have felt to be a German at that time.
I liked the progression of the main character (from a very naive and rather irritating boy to a character with courage and convictions) and the inclusion of factual information about the Edelweiss Pirates.

This book could be a class read-aloud with 6th or 7th graders.

Also in this vein (war): Boy in the Striped Pajamas or Then.


AGE: 12-15. While the actual reading level is around age 10 or 11, the topics require a little maturity if you want children to read this and understand the implications in the broader context of a complex real-life war.
GENRE: Realistic fiction / Historical fiction.
RATING: 4 - 4 1/2 stars.

Then (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: Morris Gleitzman (Aust) PUBLISHED: 2008

PLOT: Two children run away from a Nazi train bound for a concentration camp. They befriend a farmer woman who tries to protect them. The story is confrontational, and gives perspectives from many people: Nazi soldiers, those who are sympathetic to Jews (including some soldiers), etc.

Similar to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

AGES: 10+
GENRE: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
RATING: 4 1/2 - 5 stars

The Graveyard Book (Fic)

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman (UK)
PUBLISHED: 2008

PLOT: As his family are being murdered, a toddler wanders into a graveyard. Pursued by the murderer, the ghosts of the graveyard are charged with his safekeeping, and there he is raised.
As he grows, he learns about the other ghosts in the graveyard, the dangers in and out of the graveyard, ghouls, witches, himself, and his would-be murderer.

REVIEW: A wonderfully-written story that can make you laugh and cry.  It has horror themes, and might be genuinely scary for some children, but these parts are quickly resolved, and any conflict always ends on a high note.

This would be an ideal read-aloud for 7th or 8th grade.

AGES: 11+ (I'd hesitate before recommending this to under 11s or 12s - it really depends on the child's maturity and what they have previously read. This book is perfect for high school reluctant readers, with enough appeal to engage adults).
GENRE: Horror
RATING: 6 stars!!

28 Days Later: The Aftermath (GN)

AUTHOR: Steve Niles

ISSUES/NOTES: A graphic novel based on the movie of the same title. Visually violent. Themes of science gone wrong, violence, death, fleeing for your life.

PLOT: When a science experiment goes wrong, a "rage virus" is released into the city of London, resulting in aggressive-vampire/zombie-like behaviour (lots of blood and killing).

AGES: 13+

GENRE: Graphic novel/Horror. RATING: 4 stars.

The Sandman Library series (GN)

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman (USA)

NOTES: A dark series comprising 10 volumes. Topics deal with death, sex, dreams, killing, legends, mysteries. Contains nudity and violence.

AGE: Recommended for mature readers only (not only because of the topics, but the language used is also fairly advanced). Young adult (15/16+).

GENRE: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller RATING: 5 stars.

We All Fall Down

AUTHOR: Robert Cormier (Australia).

ISSUES: teenage alcoholism, extreme vandalism (home invasion), assault, sexual attraction/first love, divorce, abduction, murder. Quite graphic at times. Not recommended as a read-aloud.

NOTE: it is on some schools' "banned book" list.

PLOT: A gang breaks into a house and vandalises it. When a young girl returns home unexpectedly, she is assaulted and pushed down stairs, going into a coma. The story follows her sister, and one of the vandals.

AGES: Recommended for highschoolers, ages 15+, for mature audiences only/parental guidance recommended.

GENRE: Thriller. RATING: 5 stars.