Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins, takes place where the book "Hunger Games" left off. Katniss and Peeta, the only two participants to both have survived the Hunger Games (a game of survival in which participants from districts in this future world have to fight to the death), and they now must go on a victory tour in the districts.

Katniss and Peeta hope for a respite now that they have survived the games but when their tour starts the beginnings of a rebellion in the districts against the central authority, they are plunged again into a fight for their survival. Once again Katniss learns and grows in this story, as she becomes a symbol for the rebellion and finds strength within herself to face new challenges.

Fans of the hugely popular Hunger Games, will not be disappointed by this sequel and will look forward to the third book in this trilogy.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Mary's village in "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" is an enclave surrounded by forest and what are called the Unconsecrated. The Sisterhood are the leaders of this village and generations have lived a simple life, with rules dictated by the Sisterhood. Guardians are trained to fortify the fences and protect the village from the Unconsecrated, the undead, who roam outside the village and threaten those who come too near the fences.

Mary dreams of a life beyond the fences, beyond the confines of her village, beyond a life with Harry to whom she has been pledged to become his wife. She dreams of his brother Travis who is pledged to her friend Cassie and another life beyond the constraints of her village.

Then one day, the Unconsecrated breach the walls of her village and there is no place to turn except the path, that is fenced and leads away from the village. Part horror story, part fantasy, this book lets you image a new and frightening world were all the rules have changed and surviving means making choices you never would have imagined. This book by first time author Carrie Ryan, is a wonder and one that you won't easily put down. This is a powerful story from start to finish.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

In the novel, "Book of a Thousand Days", author Shannon Hale got her inspiration from a story "Maid Maleen" by the Brother Grimm. Like that tale, in this story, a maid Dashti stays with Lady Saren as she is locked in a tower for seven years after she refuses to marry a man she has been promised to.

Dashti provides support for Lady Saren, as the imprisonment tests both their sanity and their survival. This novel is told in a diary format and Dashti's voice is the one through which we find the story told. It is a wonderful fantasy novel, and the characters are richly drawn.

Will Dashti and Lady Saren survive this time or will they find a way to escape and make it through a new adventure? Again, this is a tale so well told, you want to keep reading to find out how the story will end. You may also want to go back and read the original tale by the Brother Grimm and compare the two stories, as well.

Hunger by Michael Grant

"Hunger", the sequel to "Gone" by Michael Grant, picks up the story three months after the FAYZ (an event where all the teens and adults over the age of fifteen disappear, and the world is restricted by a barrier that closes off their world to the outside). The remaining members of the community form two different groups and an outside evil threatens all of them.

Some of the teens develop mutant powers that are both terrifying and destructive. As this new novel begins, the overriding problem is that the food supply is dwindling, and the threads of the alliances that some of the teens have formed are unraveling. An evil presence also lurks from an outlying mine and seems to call them like a spider laying out its web.

This book is a true horror story. It's been called Stephen King for young adults and I think that it is an apt comparison. You'll be shocked and at the edge of your seat, as in the preceding novel, Gone, for the same thrill ride. Not for the faint hearted, but for the rest of you, open the book and enjoy. My recommendation though, read it in the daylight only.

The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

In the book, "The Adoration of Jenna Fox", the main character Jenna is recovering from an accident that left her in a coma, and her parents have taken her to a secluded location. Why does she only remember fragments of her past, why do her parents want her to recover in private and why does her grandmother look at her so strangely and act so distant from her?

Does the fact that her father works at Fox Biosystems have anything to do with Jenna's story? This science fiction story makes us look at the extremes that a parent would go to save their child and the reality that future biomedical advances may bring. What choices will we make as a society when the boundaries of medical science come face to face with societal ethics?

Part science fiction/medical thriller and part teenage coming of age story, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, is a non-stop adventure that will be sure to please both science fiction fans and anyone who likes a story well told. This book will keep you thinking long after the final page is read.

The Comet's Curse by Dom Testa

In the Comet's Curse, by Dom Testa, a comet that passes close to the Earth leaves a trail of particles that causes serious fatal illness in adults. Those teenage and younger seem immune to the virus that is reeking havoc on the adult population.

A group of scientists come together to plan a way to save at least a small amount of the Earth's population and it's heritage. A spaceship, Galahad, will be built and will contain an all teenage crew which will travel beyond our solar system to a place where the ship can land and a new community can be established.

The ship's journey begins and so does acts of vandalism that threaten the success of the mission and the young explorers who are Earth's only promise. This book is the first in a series that will follow the Galahad and its crew as they journey through the Galaxy.

This science fiction title will keep you trying to guess what will happen next. Just when you think you have it figured it out something new happens. This is a good read for science fiction fans.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

"Beastly" by Alex Flinn is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story set in modern day New York City. Kyle Kingsbury, cold and arrogant, is turned into a beast and forced to face the person that he was and the person he can try to be.

Shut away, avoiding human contact, Kyle learns that there is only one way to avoid staying in his current form for the rest of his life and a girl Lindy is the key.

This story is told in Kyle's voice and I found it refreshing to hear this story in a modern setting with a main character who learns and grows as the book evolves. This is a modern fairy tale and there is romance as well.

Recommended, its a story well told and Flinn is an excellent author of this and other books.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman hauntingly tells the story of Mia who is riding with her family in their car when a horrific accident occurs that claims the life of her parents. Mia finds herself somewhere between life and death and looking on as the scene unfolds before her of the accident and then her time at the hospital. She is aware of the people who love her at her bedside, encouraging her to stay.

Does her younger brother survive? Will Mia decide to "stay" when she slowly realizes going on, means leaving her family behind. This book hints of the supernatural and has a compelling main character in Mia. You'll want to keep reading this book to know how the future turns out for her. Again, this is another book I had a hard time putting down, it kept me engaged from start to finish.

The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer is a companion novel to her book, "Life As We Knew It". In this book, we have a whole new set of characters facing the same cataclysmic event, a meteor has crashed into the moon and changed it's orbit leading to worldwide climate change and upheaval. Seventeen year old, Alex Morales finds himself trying to provide for his two younger sisters, when his parents go missing in the initial event, in a world where all the rules have changed.

This book is a chilling look at how one would need to cope if all the rules in society had changed and we each had to find our own ways to survive. How we would change as people or find the faith to stay the same is at the heart of this novel. Both of Pfeffer's books are powerful reads which tell great stories and keep you thinking of how you would react in a similar situation. Pick up either or both of these books, you won't be disappointed. The audio versions are available as well.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

October 11, 2009

"Fire" by Kristin Cashore is a mesmerizing read from start to finish. Written as a companion novel to "Graceling" this book introduces a totally new set of characters in a world called 'The Dells'. Fire is the last of her kind, a human monster, with breathtaking beauty and the ability to influence minds. She leaves her home and her friend and lover Archer to travel to King City where the royal family hopes her power will help them understand the workings of their enemies and help hold their fragile kingdom together.

Cashore has a way of bringing to life a fantasy world that seems real from page one. You develop an empathy and understanding for the characters in the book and it won't be easy to put this book down once you start reading it. Absolutely recommended, it was one of my favorite books this year.