Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Synopsis: 

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama. Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

“Expelled. Actions have consequences, Mr. Fitzpatrick.  Despite numerous warnings about your cheating, drug use, and pranks, you have again disobeyed our rules and proven yourself unworthy to be a student at Regents Preparatory Academy. Obviously this also means you will not be invited to rejoin us again for your senior year.” 

With this we begin the journey of Derek Fitzpatrick. I have had a love affair with Simone Elkeles’s male characters for years now.  I fell in love with her first male protagonist Alex Fuentes in 2008 and I have stalked her ever since!  She introduced these wonderful characters to the world of YA fiction in her Perfect Chemistry Series.  I was head over heels!  Being her number one fan I am thrilled she has birthed a new series for us all to enjoy!

I loved this book!  Set in Fairfield, the same city her Perfect Chemistry Series takes place, Wild Cards takes place on the other side of town at Fermont High School the rival school of Fairfield High.  We meet Derek and from the get go, he is every bit the bad boy Simone is famous for writing.  Being expelled from private boarding school in the first couple of pages, Derek is forced to move with his stepmother to Chicago.  Not wanting to be there and trying to find his way back home Derek meets his stepmothers little sister and finds she makes him feel things he doesn’t want to own up to.

Ashtyn is a great female character.  She is smart, independent, pretty and she is the star kicker for her school football team.  Ashtyn is dating the quarterback of the football team and is pretty happy with her skills, her friends and her boyfriend…that is until Derek comes along.  

 

Everything isn’t peachy for these two teens, Derek has a loving father but he is in the Navy and lives most of his life underwater in a submarine.  He likes his stepmom but misses his mother whom he lost to cancer as a teen.  Ashtyn’s father isn’t very interested in her life and her mother left as a child so all she has are her friends and her teammates who she cherishes with all her heart.

Told in alternating POV (my favorite way to enjoy a book) you get in the minds of both Derek and Ashtyn and you fall in love with the hearts under their tough hard shells. 

“Keeping Ashtyn at a distance is what I need to do, even though I sense an undercurrent of something I can’t put my finger on and don’t really want to….”~Derek

Derek has a secret that he keeps from Ashtyn, and he harbors guilt about his mother’s death that forced him to quit what was to be a bright football career.  Both Derek and Ashtyn have abandonment issues that cause them to run from each other and fight feelings they have for one another from the beginning. Derek has never been one to commit and Ashtyn has never been one to be in a non-committed relationship.  Both are complete opposites in so many ways yet are so alike in the ways that it counts.

On a trip they take together to Texas, Ashtyn and Derek learn things about each other and themselves that force them to take a closer look at who they are and who they want to be. 

With a fabulous bunch of supporting characters, Monika, Trey, Victor, Brandi, and Mrs. Worthington, this book has humor that takes the edge off.  I think Mrs. Worthington steals the book!  She was amazing and I love her!  

Another great story from Simone and I can’t wait for part 2 in the Wild Card series!!! 

Oh, The Places You'll GO!! Good Luck Class of 2013

Congratulations to the Mighty Mission Eagle Class of 2013!

These kids were my Twilighters. I taught many of them in 8th grade.  I am so proud of how far they have come! Good Luck Eagles!  You are on your way to greatness!!

Good Luck!  Stay Safe & Study Hard!  Congratulations again Class of 2013! 

From: Your Library <3

Boys of Summer

Here are a few books both old and new that I think you boys of MHS would enjoy this summer! These are books for boys by boys!!!  Do we have these books in your library?  YES WE DO!!!

 Looking for Alaska by: John Green

Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

The Fault in Our Stars by: John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Gone by: Michael Grant

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

 The 5th Wave by: Rick Yancey

 After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

 A Good Long Way by: Rene Saldana Jr. 

"Stop it. The two of you, stop it! You're father and son; you should love each other." Roelito howls at his father and older brother as their heated argument turns into a pushing, shoving match. Beto has again come home way past curfew, and worse, smelling like a cantina.
When Beto Sr. tells his son that he either needs to follow the rules or leave, the boy--a senior in high school and a man as far as he's concerned--decides to leave, right then, in the middle of the night. Once he has walked away, though, he realizes he has nowhere to go. Maybe his best friend Jessy--a hard-as-nails girl who has run away before can help him.
The story of Beto's decision to run away and drop out of school is told from shifting perspectives in which the conflicted lives of Roel, Beto, and Jessy are revealed in short, poignant scenes that reflect teen-age life along the Texas-Mexico border.
Each one has a good long way to go in growing up. Roel fights against the teachers' assumptions that he's like Beto. Unlike his big brother, Roel is book smart and actually enjoys school. Jessy is smart too, but most of her teachers can't see beyond her tough-girl façade. Her parents are so busy fighting with each other that they don t notice her, even if she s packing a suitcase to leave. And Beto . . . somewhere along the way he quit caring about school. And his teachers have noticed and given up too.
Author and educator Rene Saldana, Jr. once again writes a fast-paced, thought-provoking novel that will engage young adults in questions about their own lives and responsibilities to family, friends, and most of all, to themselves.

 Mexican White Boy by: Matt De La Pena

DANNY’S TALL AND skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. A 95 mph fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.

But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico. And that’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he might just have to face the demons he refuses to see right in front of his face.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

Now don't let me hear you say you have nothing to read!!!
Enjoy your summer!  

 

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I Believe in Mermaids!

I do believe in Mermaids, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do believe in Mermaids!!!

 

 

Sea Change by: Aimee Friedman

Sixteen-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science. . .and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.

There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship. . .and reality.

I LOVE LEO!!!

 

Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

 

Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?

The first book in a trilogy, Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

 

 

Ripple by: Mandy Hubbard

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

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Of Poseidon & Of Triton by Anna Banks

 

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen’s not fully convinced that Emma’s the one he’s been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help—no matter what the risk.

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Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

 

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.

It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

 

The Brides of Rollrock Island by: Margo Lanagan

On remote Rollrock Island, men go to sea to make their livings—and to catch their wives.

The witch Misskaella knows the way of drawing a girl from the heart of a seal, of luring the beauty out of the beast. And for a price a man may buy himself a lovely sea-wife. He may have and hold and keep her. And he will tell himself that he is her master. But from his first look into those wide, questioning, liquid eyes, he will be just as transformed as she. He will be equally ensnared. And the witch will have her true payment.

Margo Lanagan weaves an extraordinary tale of desire, despair, and transformation. With devastatingly beautiful prose, she reveals characters capable of unspeakable cruelty, but also unspoken love.

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Wrecked by Anna Davis

A mysterious stranger holds the key to Miranda’s fate in this contemporary retelling of “The Little Mermaid.” Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control. But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm. Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.

 

Fathomless by: Jackson Pearce

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

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Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

 

 

"Will you ever tell me how you got that scar?" he asked. I covered it with my hand. Why did he think of that? "Not if I can help it," I told him. "But it's old. From a whole different life."

 

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love retellings of the classics, fairy-tales, legends and mythology. Every time a new one is released I do a happy dance, and twirl and spin!! I LOVE THEM!!!

 

Synopsis:

SCARLET is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend. Most of Nottinghamshire knows Will Scarlet: a quick and clever thief that sticks to the shadows and protects the band without question, but even those that know Scarlet’s really a girl don’t know the secrets of her past, like how she got the scar on her cheek. Guy of Gisbourne may be the one person who does: and he was just hired to bring Robin Hood and his gang to the gallows.

 

Posing as one of Robin Hood's thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her female identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only Robin and his band know the truth. As Gisbourne closes in, helping the people of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life, but her fierce loyalty to Robin-whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her-keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

 

So Who Was Robin Hood?

From the first time men spoke of him, Robin Hood was believed to have been a real person. Through the centuries there has been much speculation as to who he was, however his identity remains unknown. No one could provide authentic records of his activities, but five of the oldest surviving poems or ballads as they are now called, tell us much of what is known about the legend of this English outlaw. No one really has been able to prove that he did or did not exist.

Robin is famous for his gallantry, robbing the rich to feed the poor and fighting against injustice and tyranny. Anyone who knows of Robin has also heard the stories of his outlaw band. The names of Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marion, Allan a Dale, Will Scarlet, Much the Miller and the evil Sheriff of Nottingham are as much a part of the legend as Robin Hood himself.

The stories of Robin portray him as a fearless outlaw leading his band of "merry men" (and women) against the tyranny of Prince John, The Sheriff of Nottingham and Sir Guy of Gisbourne. A brilliant archer, Robin lived a life of adventure - poaching the King's deer from the outlaws' retreat in Sherwood Forest.

Stories about the adventures of Robin have been told and retold for over six hundred years. In Robin's time, few people could read or write and consequently little was written down about the exploits of our hero. Instead, people learnt about Robin and his band through the ballad and song of wandering minstrels who weaved a patchwork of fact and fiction into the contemporary culture of the time.

*(Information gathered from www.robinhoodthelegend.com)

 

My Short & to the Point Review:

 

I really did enjoy this book. I love The Hood and his band of Merry Men and I loved the twist in this book. By making Will Scarlet into a she, A.C. Gaughen gives a whole new life to the legend. She gives us a heroine that is not a damsel in distress. She is a survivor, a girl who stands up for what she wants and isn’t afraid to fight for what is right. She has a heart of gold and is loyal and fierce. She takes the reins of these merry men and leads them just as well as any man could! GIRL POWER! Scarlet is a character we can all relate to. Scar works hard to make the people around her comfortable and safe. She works to make those who are less fortunate, happy.

I love how Scarlet can hold her own. She can punch out the biggest of men, out run them too and she is skilled with a knife. Think Katniss Everdeen with a blade! Yup she is that good! (She leaves the bow to The Hood)

There is a love triangle but Scarlet isn’t all swoony over Rob so it isn’t really mushy. But it is sweet. Move over Maid Marion there is a new girl in town!

I’ll keep your heart, Scar,” he whispered. “If you keep mine.”-Robin

 

PICK IT UP & Other Classic Retellings @ YOUR LIBRARY!!!

 



 

Tiger Lily by: Jodi lynn Anderson

 

Let me tell you something straight off.  This is a love story, but not like any you've heard.  Dear lives are lost.  And good doesn't win.  In some place, there is something ultimately good about endings.  In Neverland, that is not the case.

 

Summary:

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

My Turn:

First things first, I love retellings and adaptations of classic stories.  When I read the title Tiger Lily, I knew it was Peter Pan.  Who doesn’t love that Lost Boy! I went into this story not knowing what to expect, I was trying to figure out just how someone could write a Tiger Lily/Peter Pan love story that would be….good?!? Would it work? Could it work?  Well Jodi Lynn Anderson did! It is the most beautiful story told through the eyes of Tink!  Yes, Tinkerbell is telling us this story of love, betrayal and loss.  Tinkerbell is a faerie you see, she can’t talk so she is able to hear and observe the world around her at a heightened awareness.  She is also able to convey what she sees like no one else.  She is able to give us the scoop on what ALL the characters are thinking, she gets right in there with them!  We see everyone in this story, including Captain Hook and the Lost Boys!  Tinkerbell is my favorite character in Peter Pan, so I was in love with the idea that she was omniscient because as you know good and well, all faeries are!  We learn so much about Tiger Lily in this story not only what we already know about her being brave, loyal and strong but she is compassionate, loving and selfless as we learn while this story unfolds. Keeping with the original dark tale of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, this isn’t your Disney-happily-ever-after fairytale.  There is swoon worthy romance which is important in fairy-tales even in dark fairy-tales, believe me, you will not be disappointed in this book! Never really being a fan of Wendy, even in the Disney cartoon, (my favorite part was when the mermaids were trying to drown her…hehe) I didn’t like her much in this book either, but you may.  Did I love this book? YES!!!  Do I think you should read it?  ABSOLUTELY!!!  Not your “typical” happily-ever-after, this story is bittersweet, somewhat dark and oh so lovely! 

PICK IT UP!!!  HERE @ YOUR LIBRARY!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

"What would it take for you to go out with me?" he asks. 

"You're not serious."

"Do I look like I'm jokin'?"

"Nothing.   I would never go out with you."

 

OK where do I start with Perfect Chemistry.  I read this book years ago when it first came out in 2009.  I picked it up because I was upset about the summary.  I didn't like the fact that the boy was a stereotypical Mexican gang member.  I bought this book to read it, that way I could rebuttal her story.  I was livid, I planned to write a letter to the author telling her a thing or two!  Well, I read the book and I did write the author, not to fight, but to thank her for making Alex a wonderful, redeeming character, for not making him stereotypical and for her wonderful story.  I LOVE ALEX!!

I decided to review this book because it is one of our most popular check-outs.  I can not seem to keep Simone's books on the shelves! 

 

Summary:

A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

 In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

 

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My Two-Cents:

Told in alternating points of view we have Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the south side of Fairfield, Chicago.  He is smart, yet guarded.  He is loyal to a fault and he desires more from life then what he is told he is born to do.  He has dreams and aspirations that go far beyond living a gang life.  He wants to be more than just a gang member and die like his father.  Alex’s father was murdered when he was little, shot in front of their house with Alex right next to him.  Born in this neighborhood and being the oldest son of a dead gang leader, Alex is considered a legacy and needs to join the gang not by choice but as a way to survive, a way to make sure his family is safe and taken care of and in his mind to make sure his little brothers steer clear of this gang life.

Then we have Brittany Ellis.  The perfect, perfect Brittany Ellis.  What we see is what we get.  But this is not the case.  Brittany’s life looks perfect on the outside, but there is more to Brittany then she lets on.  She is very guarded about her personal life and she struggles to be perfect for everyone around her including her very demanding overbearing mother.  A façade she feels will crumble any day.

Brittany and Alex are on the opposite ends of everything.  When they are partnered together in Chemistry class, they really hate each other, each already having a preconceived notion of the other.  As they get to know one another and work together they find that not only were they wrong about one another but that in a perfect world they may actually be friends.

It is the classic star-crossed lover’s story about two people who are so different from each other; they end up being right for one another. 

This book hits on strong themes of acceptance, diversity, courage and independence.  In my experience with this book it is well accepted by both male and females alike.  It is a popular choice among reluctant readers as well.  There are two other books in The Perfect Chemistry Series.

Come get it!  We have this and ALL of Simone’s books here in your library!!

 

 

 

The Farm by Emily McKay

YA Dystopian Fiction

Published 2012

 

Some days, you let the bad guys win.  My mom, the pro bono lawyer, used to say that to me sometimes, back in the Before.  Life was different in the Before: before the vampires began devouring humans in as swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined.  These days, we know what those quarantines are -- holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks.  Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other...

 

A story told in first person POV is often thought to give the reader a limited view of the story. In The Farm by Emily McKay, told three alternating characters, this is not the case.  McKay gives a fast paced, clearly thought out world that is not only believable, but scary and real. The reader is able to form a connection with the characters that is immediate and intense.  Set in a rural futuristic Texas, twin sisters Lily and Mel are trying to break out of a society for teens they are living on called The Farm. They are controlled by the Dean and his enforcers the Collabs.  They are brought to the farm to feed the Ticks, a gruesome creation, zombie-like monsters who preferred the blood of teenagers.  They have a plan to escape before their doomsday, which is their eighteenth birthday.  But when childhood friend Carter shows up knowledge and offers his help, he fails to mention his own agenda, the plot begins to thicken.
 
Lily and Mel are complete opposites of each other.  Lily is the strong sister, the caretaker; she takes the role of guardian over her sister Mel after being sent to the farm.  Mel is special.  She has autism and it forces them to hide by blending into society which they do not do very well.  Lily cannot let anyone know how special she is.  Mel is smart, perceptive and can feel what is going on around them. She sees things others cannot. She is able to guide them.

 This story is an eye-opener, the monsters in the story; the Ticks are created by science for a purpose which makes this story real in a way the reader can see something of this nature happening if genetic experiments go wrong. The Ticks are fast, efficient killing machines who have no thought process other than FEED. 
 

 This story shines light on genetic experimentation and mental illness in our country. These topics being in the forefront of our news, The Farm gives this story a much more realistic feeling as the reader is devouring the pages.