The Children of Men

I saw the movie, but it had been YEARS so I had completely forgotten how it ended. So I went into this book pretty ignorant. Told in a mixture of diary entries and third person, The Children of Men, tells the story of a world where no more babies are born. It's been 25 yearss since the last child was born. Schools are closed, playgrounds dismantled, and suicide encouraged as an option for the elderly who know that there is no more "family" to care for them. It's pretty bleak, but people are trying to make due. Theo Faron, a divorced history professor has just muddled along for years, simply existing. That all changes when one day a woman approaches him wanting to use his contacts to the Warden of England. Suddenly, he starts to realize how messed up things are around him, his eyes become open and he wonders if they do have what it takes to turn around the hopelessness. Bleak, depressing, dry at times, but a unique concept that will stick with readers. I definitely want to re-watch the movie now!

The Power

Poignant, powerful, and wonderfully different for a change. For once, women are the power hungry, the dominant, the top of the food chain. Eerily reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale and other dystopian literature, The Power chronicles the female ascent to the top. Worldwide young girls are discovering that they have the power to release electrical charges, effectively shocking other people, sometimes to death. They also discover that when they shock older women they have the power to waken the dormant abilities. Soon women all over the world have this power and for once the men know fear. Told through multiple perspectives over a ten year span we see a female mayor aspiring to be governor, a young teenage girl with stronger raw power then anyone has ever seen, Mother Eve a prophet of the power, and a journalist, the lone male voice in this book. Together their panic, amazement, and greed tell the tale of how men became the weaker sex and the movement that changed the course of history forever, Wonderfully fresh and inventive. I loved it!

The Handmaid's Tale

This is one of those classics that I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't read. Blasphemous, I know.Twenty seven years on this earth and I'm JUST NOW getting to this sensationally, classic, and groundbreaking work?!?! I feel like my librarian card would have been revoked had I not gotten to it when I did. I read this book from start to finish in less than 24 hours, so it was good to know that all the hype was true. This book is hard to put down. I was riveted from the get go. This dystopian novel of gender inequality and sex and politics, remains as relevant today as when it was first published three decades ago. I won't do justice summarizing the book. Trust me, just dive right in. You won't regret it. It's timeless and will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

Allegiant

I'd heard a lot of mixed reviews for this book. Some of my friends loved it, others hated it, saying it ruined the entire series for them. All I can say is that... I have mixed feelings about it as well. I didn't hate, although I certainly didn't love it. I thought the ending worked well for this series, even though I didn't like it (spoiler alert, I am a sucker for happy or semi-happy endings).

The middle of the book was really slow and it didn't pick up again til the end. That being said I still read it in two sittings. I think my favorite in the trilogy will always be the first one, but isn't that how it usually works? I don't want to talk to much about the book and give spoilers away, so I'll keep this review short. The conclusion was "meh" but it fit with the series. It will be interesting to see how this translates into the movie version.

Sunrise

LOVED IT!! This may be my favorite in the trilogy. Things really started to come together and I loved the character development. It was thrilling, ingenious, and well researched. If Yellowstone erupts in my lifetime, this will most definitely be my go to manual.

The first two books were composed of a lot of short term missions, scuffles, fights, survival, but this book really set the stage for how Alex, Darla and their family is going to be able to live long term in their apocalyptic new world. I enjoyed their town building, technical details and strategies for solving common problems. It's very intriguing and suffice it to say, if I were in their shoes I wouldn't last too long.

An exciting and impeccable conclusion to the "Ashfall" trilogy, I can't wait to see what author, Mike Mullin, has in store for us next!

For fans of survival literature, end of the world scenarios, and dystopias.

Ashen Winter

I thought the first book in the trilogy was fast paced, boy was I wrong! The action in "Ashen Winter" never lets up. Just when you think they've finally made it, something insane and awful happens and you have to keep reading!  There is no break! Which is fine by me because this makes the story whiz by.

Almost half a year after Yellowstone erupted and pretty much destroyed North America, Alex and Dara decide to leave the relative safety of his Uncle's farm to try and find Alex's parents. The second they hit the road, all hell breaks loose. There's bandits, flensers (cannibals), horrible FEMA officers, and gangs of desperate starving people who will stop at nothing to survive. Alex and Dara have to not only fight and outsmart these people, but survive the hellish winter they're in. Is it even worth surviving in this world? And if so who is worth dying for?

Another fantastic addition to Mike Mullin's work. I cannot wait to read the conclusion!

For fans of dystopias, fight for survivals, and young adult literature.

Insurgent

Why did I just now read this?!? It was a pretty damn good follow up to Divergent, the action never lets up and you're left racing to the end hoping to get some things wrapped up but when you get there, BAM, you're left hanging. You have to wait for the final book in the trilogy. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about the last book so I'm scared to start it, but at the same time I have to find out what in the hell is going on!!

In Isurgent Tris has to learn to cope with the death of her parents and Will, she's scared to use a gun, but not afraid to rip people apart with her bare hands. She and Four (Tobias, that sexy dreamboat) are constantly arguing in this book. They can't agree on anything and are convinced that they're lying to each other. Together they team up with some loyal dauntless, factionless, Candor, and some other people to try and take down the evil Euradite woman, Jeanine, and her posse of evildoers.

Like I said it's fast paced and the action never lets up. Super quick read. Be warned though that if you haven't read Divergent you will be hopelessly lost.

On Such a Full Sea

This is the first book by Chang-rae Lee that I've had the pleasure of reading and now I certainly plan on reading more! Lee has a beautiful way with words and they just flow on the page creating a literary masterpiece that compels you to pay attention and care about the matters at hand. It's not easy to write a book in first person plural but Lee does so, and does it so masterfully that it is almost unnoticeable.

Citizens of B-Mor (formerly Baltimore) collectively narrate the story of a young girl named Fan who leaves the safety of the compound to search for her boyfriend Reg, who has mysteriously vanished. Fan must find her way through the treacherous open counties where food is scarce, disease rampant, and crime rages. Along the way she meets many strange characters who go out of their way to help her track down Reg, even though she isn't one of them. The counties people are no doubt jealous of her "privileged" life and the Charter people would look down on her for being lower class workers.

While Fan is trying to make sense of her new surroundings, the omniscient B-Mor narrators fill is on how things have changed since Fan voluntarily left the safety of their compound. There are riots, guerrilla movements, discontent. Will it last, or will they eventually forget about Fan? Will Fan ever find Reg? Read to find out!

Even though this is a dystopian that takes place centuries away in America, it is still totally relate-able to us. Lee paints a picture of the lower, middle, and upper classes and the pitfalls of each one. It's truly ingenious and a work of art. Now I know what all the hype was about!

Grasshopper Jungle

What in the name of all things holy did I just read?!?! I don't really know, but I loved every second of it!! Teenage boys are going to LOVE this book. And I foresee it being banned at most school libraries. Which will hopefully spur more kids to read it! Ahh soo good!

Most people are probably sick of dystopian or Armageddon novels, and to those people i say... read this book! This isn't just an end of the world novel, it's also filled with dark humor, sexuality, teenage love, confusion, and every other possible emotion that a teenage boy is capable of feeling. It's funny, inappropriate, and deeply personal all in one go.

In the small town of Ealing, Iowa, Austin is in love. He loves his girlfriend Shann, and... his best friend Robby who just so happens to be gay. He can't make heads or tails of his feelings. Is he gay too? Bisexual? Experimenting? Before he can properly figure out the answer to questions, Ealing is overrun with giant six foot tall praying mantises that only want to do one of two things. Eat or fuck (kind of like teenage boys).

Even though this is an outrageous tale, the characters seem totally real as does the serious points the author makes about scientific research done for the sake of profit at the expense of mankind.

An absolute must read. For fans of young adult literature, dystopians, black humor, gonzo writing, and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Snow Crash

This is hands down one of the most unique "sci-fi" books I have ever read. It's not really sci-fi perse it's more steam-punk set in a dystopic future America, but hey, kinda same thing right?

This wildly exciting novel is damn hard to describe. Hiro Protagonist a pizza delivery guy for the mafia (yep, in the future Pizza delivery is a serious business. the mafia personally guarantees your pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less) who finds himself teaming up with a young kourier (highly skilled skateboarders that deliver packages for hire) to find out about a new virus called "snow crash" before it brings their highly complex technological world crashing down. This description literally only gets you one tenth of the way though the book. You have to read to find out more! And trust me, you'll want to. This book is soo bizarre and soo fun. It's one of a kind. I will definitely be reading more from this genre!!

The Death Cure

I did it! I finally finished "The Maze Runner" trilogy! Overall, it was a damn good violent young adult dystopian series and it kept you guessing til the very end. I highly recommend it!

This final novel opens with Thomas, Minho, Newt, Jorge, and Brenda escaping from the WICKED headquarters and literally trying to find a way to save the world from the flare. As usual however, things are not as they seem. They escape to a safe city (Denver) and soon find out that it isn't really safe after all and the flare is running rampant. Cranks soon take over the city and Thomas and the gang must decide if they want to trust and team up with "right arm" a group supposedly aimed at taking down WICKED. 

Per usual, James Dashner will have you flipping pages like crazy trying to discover what in the hell is really going on. This is easily up there with "The Hunger Games" (albeit more graphic, depressing, and violent). Read it already!

The Scorch Trials

Well after finishing "The Maze Runner" I obviously had to pick up the next installment and boy am I glad I did. It's just a fast paced and relentless as the first book and you hit the ground running.

James Dashner doesn't let you rest for a minute. Just when you think everything is fine and all the questions have been answered, BAM, another trial. As if these poor kids didn't go through enough in the first book, they're about to go through another round of hell. Only this time they must team up with some Cranks (you'll find out about them soon enough), and Theresa is on the other team. Everytime Thomas, Newt, Frypan, and Minho think they have something figured out about WICKED (the group conducting experiments and trials on them) they discover that they are horribly mistaken. The Maze was only the beginning, the scorch trials are going to test their sanity, their strength, and their will to survive.

Trust me, read this series. I will be picking up the next book later on today. They're impossible to put down.

The Maze Runner

People have been raving about this book for years and I feel silly for just now getting around to reading it, but boy am I glad I did!! This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys dystopia novels like "The Hunger Games Trilogy" or "Divergent." It's a futuristic world where kids have to fend for their lives and know one (including the reader) knows what the hell is going on until the very end.

The story opens with Thomas awakening in a metal box and being hauled up to "the Glade." It's a haven full of teenage boys who survive by trying to create order in a world of chaos. The Glade is located smack dab in the middle of a giant maze filled with grievers, terrible slug like mechanical creatures that come out after dark and sting or kill you. No one knows why they're there but every day the maze runners risk their lives by running around the massive labyrinth trying to find a way out. Everyone's memory has been wiped, all they remember is coming up in the metal box. Their life is a hell, paranoia, chaos, and death meets them at every turn. Can Thomas adjust to this hellish nightmare? What is the meaning of the maze? Why are they there? Trust me you'll want to read more! This page turner will keep you guessing til the very end. I can't wait to read the sequel!