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Insurgent by Veronica Roth (review by Anahita F. ’17)

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Insurgent (Divergent, #2)Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Insurgent picks up where the Divergent leaves off. The five factions have broken up, and Erudite and Dauntless have united against the Abnegation. Tris and Four are forced to flee. They seek help from the two remaining neutral factions, Amity and Candor. Tris does what she feels is right, but will her actions be the ruin of everyone’s plans? Could her rash decisions hurt others? There is much more conflict in comparison to the first book, making it a bit hard to follow at times, but the sentimental portions made the novel well-balanced. I could really relate to all the characters’ feelings of loss, love, and fear throughout the book. It is nice to see that Roth does not incorporate the overused love triangle romance in her books. Overall, Insurgent’s utterly addictive, action-filled, and suspenseful storyline is an invigorating read. – Anahita F. ’17

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The Maze Runner by James Dashner (review by Shivani A. ’17)

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The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1)The Maze Runner by James Dashner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine one day waking up in an entirely new place, filled with frightening creatures, deadly curfews, and no personal memories. This is what Thomas experiences in The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Thomas first wakes up in a lift with his only memory is his name, and is soon deposited in a place called Glade. Much like the other Gladers, Thomas has no clue of his whereabouts. There is only one thing everyone there is sure of, every morning the giant stone doors that lead out to a deadly maze open, and every night they close. Not only that but every thirty days a new boy appears, never a girl. That all changes, however, when a girl holding a mysterious note appears in the lift. Soon Thomas is in a race against time, in an attempt to remember his memories before chaos is unleashed against Glade. This book is different and refreshing from the usual dystopian society novels, and will leave you wanting more. I found The Maze Runner more of a thriller, and it sparked my interest even though there was no love triangle, common in dystopian society novels, Instead this book thrives on thrill and sucks the reader in to the detailed plot revolving around Thomas. Though the book was entertaining I was unable to sympathize with Thomas. The Maze Runner lacks emotion, however the plot was so different I was still drawn to the book. Overall I would say this is a book that people of all ages will appreciate. – Shivani A. ‘17

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Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (review by Elisabeth S. ’16)

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Snow CrashSnow Crash by Neal Stephenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In a novel that practically invented its own genre, Stephenson brings to life the engaging, fast-paced Metaverse, Hiro Protagonist’s virtual reality. The world-building is top-notch, set in some pocket of a distant time ahead that remains unstilted — unlike dystopian classics such as Brave New World. Snow Crash is refreshingly free of cloying allegory or philosophy, which seem to accompany any novel set in the future nowadays. It teems with energy that casts a vice-like hold on readers and refuses to let go. Hiro and YT (Yours Truly) make brilliant, edgy and flawed protagonists that truly have no parallel. Recommended to budding science fiction or cyberpunk fans. And – if you are already a hardcore fan of either but still haven’t read this — where on earth have you been? – Elisabeth S. ‘16

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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (review by Lavinia D. ’17)

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City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Brooklyn teenager Clary Fray goes with her best friend Simon Lewis to a nightclub, the last thing she expects is to witness a murder – and to be the only one who sees it. Seeking answers, she meets Jace Wayland at the club, but suddenly, she is thrown into an unknown world fraught with danger, followed up with the news that her mother, Jocelyn, has been kidnapped by a man named Valentine in his search to find an object known as the Mortal Cup. Along with Jace and his adoptive siblings, Alec and Isabelle Lightwood, Clary starts to search for her mother and uncovers the truth about herself: she, along with Jace, Alec, and Isabelle, are part of a race called Shadowhunters – half-angel and half-human. In order to save her mother from Valentine’s evil clutches and retrieve the Mortal Cup, Clary must master her powers before it is too late. City of Bones was extremely riveting and had comedy thrown in at the perfect time. However, an overwhelming number of characters introduced in a short amount of time, made following along a bit difficult in the beginning. – Lavinia D. ‘17

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Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (review by Naomi M. ’16)

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Little Brother (Little Brother, #1)Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Terrorists have attacked San Francisco. The Department of Homeland Security takes a high school computer genius, Marcus, and his friends without any explanation to be brutally interrogated. Once released, Marcus finds that the government has turned his beloved city into a police state. Everyone is a potential threat. In order to bring down the paranoid authorities, he must figure out a way to bring the truth about the DHS to light. Armed with only his computer, Marcus sets a rebellion in motion larger than he could have dreamed possible. Reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984, Little Brother is a novel of the future – where fighting is done through technology and anyone can change the world. Lovers of dystopian fiction, this is the one for you. – Naomi M. ‘16

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Everlost by Neal Shusterman (review by Kai A. ’17)

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Everlost (Skinjacker, #1)Everlost by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Those who don’t reach the light at the end of the tunnel wind up in the world between the living and dead: Everlost. Though it is possible to join the light, Mary Hightower wants everybody, living or half-dead, to spend eternity in Everlost, forever repeating the same actions, and she will destroy all of the living to accomplish this. It is up to a group of friends to save both worlds. Their amazing talents display Shusterman’s ingenuity and creativity, but they also intrigue the reader, encouraging them to ponder what comes after life. Shusterman incorporates common superstition with the phenomena of his world to introduce interactions between the world of the living and dead, the concepts which make this first in a trilogy so interesting. Additionally, the characters have a deep, unique personalities that, combined, drive the plot to its satisfying conclusion. All readers, from the philosophical to the adventurous, will be drawn into this stunning tale of determination, sacrifice, wit, love, and deception. – Kai A. ‘17

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Watership Down by Richard Adams (review by Stanley Z. ’16)

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Watership DownWatership Down by Richard Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Watership Down by Richard Adams is about rabbits who embark on a venture to secure a new burrow after a young rabbit named Fiver prophesizes that their old one will be soon decimated. However, Fiver is unable to convince the chief, so he sets off with a small group of rabbits for a new home. The group endures cats and dogs which threaten the group. Fiver’s vision turns out to be correct, and many rabbits in the old burrow are massacred by humans. Watership Downis a little like The Aeneid except all the human characters are represented as rabbits. Recommended to anyone who enjoys adventure novels that are well-paced and fun to read. – Stanley Z. ‘16

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The Host by Stephenie Meyer (review by Naomi M. ’16)

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The Host (The Host, #1)The Host by Stephenie Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Earth has been invaded by aliens. Rather, it is less of an invasion than an occupation. These particular aliens, called souls, survive by attaching themselves to a host, and controlling the body. Melanie Strider is a part of the human resistance, along with her younger brother Max and boyfriend Jared. They’re on their way to meet up with a larger group of humans in a secret camp in the desert when Melanie is captured and given a soul. This soul, named Wanderer, and Melanie become friends, and together they escape and set out for the camp. Because it is believed that a human could not survive with a soul, their welcome is tepid. Eventually, the humans accept Wanderer. Stephenie Meyer has done a wonderful job illustrating the intricacies of friendship, love, acceptance, and what it means to be human. Both Melanie and Wanderer are opposite, yet both strong, well-written characters. The Host is a wonderful novel for anyone who enjoys action, romance, and science fiction. – Naomi M. ‘16

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Inferno by Dan Brown (review by Andrew T. ’17)

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Inferno (Robert Langdon, #4)Inferno by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fans of Dan Brown will be familiar with the protagonist of Inferno, Robert Langdon, a world renowned professor of symbology with a photographic memory and questionable fashion sense. The book starts with Langdon in a hospital having suffered amnesia in the middle of his latest adventure. After narrowly avoiding an attempt on his life, he is joined by the mysterious Sienna Brooks in order to retrace his steps towards whatever he was looking for in the first place. Inferno features twist after twist leaving the reader not entirely sure who to trust and what really is going on. The ending is clever and memorable long after closing the book. Regardless if they are familiar with Robert Langdon’s previous adventures or not, readers who love action, adventure, history, or clever narrative that keeps them guessing will undoubtedly love this book. – Andrew T. ‘17

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Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson (review by Mrs. Cranston)

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RobopocalypseRobopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Robopocalypse (available as an ebook through OverDrive), humans have finally done it. By creating a super-intelligent robot named Archos, we have, in its words, “made mankind obsolete.” In one horrifying moment (Zero Hour), Archos turns our technology against us, using cars, smart-weapons, even cell phones as tools of the robot uprising. Told from alternating perspectives before and after Zero Hour, this fast-paced book describes how a few brave humans resist Archos’ quest to cleanse the world of humanity. Readers who like a little philosophy thrown in with their apocalypse will adore this book. Sure there are be-tentacled super-robots ripping open buildings to extract humans like sardines from a can, but there are also humanoid robots meditating on what it means to be “alive.” Robopocalypse’s oral history structure as well as the scale and pace of its global disaster will draw comparisons to World War Z. However, while World War Z’s protagonists had to outmaneuver zombies (gross yes, but relatively slow and definitely brain-dead), Robopocalypse’s characters must outsmart a vastly superior intelligence whose army is global and instantaneous and in your iPad! In fact, the challenge is so compelling and Archos so daunting that the resolution is a bit unconvincing…still there are more books in the series, so we’ll see what happens next! Overall, a great read. – Mrs. Cranston, Harker librarian

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