Article 5- Kristen Simmons

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Published by Tor Teen
pages- 368
Release date- 1/31/12
genre- Dystipian
(amazon) (shelfari) (goodreads)
rating- 2

17-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. That life in the United States used to be different.

In the three years since the war ended, Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the Federal Bureau of Reformation. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings… the only boy Ember has ever loved.

article 5 was weird... I thought it would be great, based on some of the praise it got and the interesting premise. I love dystopian, and this seemed really interesting. The book its self is extremely inconsistent, and the entire first half is extremely boring. I skimmed the first 150 pages thinking to myself "when will the story begin?" 

after that the book wasn't too bad but was ultimately forgettable, the government was unrealistic, and i don't understand why Embers mother didn't get arrested years before. The world in article 5 wasn't clarified, and the characters weren't completely solid. The love story was sweet, but still, it didn't save the novel.

 I don't think ill be picking up the sequel when it comes out...

dana

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie
Published by Dutton Juvinale
Pages- 367
Release date- Nov. 11 2011
Second book in the Matched  series
Genre- Dystopian
(shelfari) (goodreads) (amazon)
Rating- 2

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. 

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

 I quite liked match when I read it last year, despite the amount of dystopian overload that had been pushed my way at the time, I found that matched was creative, and although it was a familiar story, there was enough unique content to keep me wondering how events were going to fall out. The setting was interesting enough, and it reminded me a lot of The Giver. Matched was actually better then i thought it would be, the characters were independent and although they were at times needy, their intentions were usually good, and for the most part they were the ones who controlled the story. I finnished matched satisfied, and although there was no dying urge to immediatly read crossed, i kept my eye out for it.

Crossed was entirly diffrent. Its from both Cassia and Ky's povs and although all of matched was sort of setting up for crossed, the deliverince of the book was horrid. The begining was slow moving, and even after Cassia and Ky meet up, verry little happened after. I feel as if the novel is a place holder between Matched and the last one.

Of course some things happen, Three new characters are introduced, Vicks, Eli, And Indie. Vicks who has lasted as long in the work camps as Ky, and just wants to fish and return to the girl who he used to love, Eli is young and although there is really no reason to have him around other then the fact that Ky feels sorry for Eli, and takes him under his wing mainly because he looks like Cassia's brother, and Ky misses Cassia. Finally Indie, who covers for cassia and tries to help her find Ky, and wants more then anything to find and join the rebellion.

and although i liked all three and Ky certainly came out much stronger of a character in Crossed then Matched (where as Cassia turned into a vapid, ky crazed girl. or... was she always like that? ) Crossed lacked plot, and the end sort of depressed me.


although crossed just wasn't for me, ill still probably read the third book in the series... :]

Tenderness by Robert Cormier

Tenderness by Robert Cormier
published by delacorte press
229 pages
genre- Thriller
(Amazon) (goodreads) (shelfari)
rating- 2

From Goodreads-

Eighteen-year-old Eric has just been released from juvenile detention for murdering his parents. Now he's looking for tenderness--tenderness he finds in killing girls. Fifteen-year-old Lori has run away from home again. Emotionally naive and sexually precocious, she is also looking for tenderness--tenderness that she finds in Eric. Will Lori and Eric be each other's salvation or destruction?

It was... okay. My BC teacher made it seem a lot better then it was i think. Yes, it was creepy, Yes, I felt bad for both Eric and Lori, and Yes it was very sad. But I feel like it could have been done a lot better. I get why they didn't have it at my library and I had to seek it out else where. Although the book had the plot line of awesomeness and the opportunity to become amazing I just don't think that it really worked. It was interesting though, because although Eric is a serial killer. He feels super protective of Lori, since shes just so innocent. I think that if Tenderness had a different ending then I would like it more... but I just don't. It didn't have that extra spark. actually it didn't really have any spark at all. And it pains me to say it. but I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. Unless they were specifically looking for serial killer thrillers. then yea.

The characterisation was very good, but I hated the ending. Although it was probably necessary.... Tenderness was truly a tragedy. but hey, Karma's a bitch.

Happy Friday!
D

Wirligig by Paul Fleischman

Whirligig by Paul Fleischman
Age group- Teen/YA
Pages- 133
Published by Square Fish
learn about it Here
Buy it Here
rating- 2 stars

After Brent gets rejected by the girl of his dreams, and humiliated by a group of potential friends at a party, he angrily drives himself home. Intoxicated, and pissed off, Brent just wants it all to end. 


He takes his hands off the wheel, presses down the accelerator, and closes his eyes. 


And wakes up in a hospital. Brent's attempted suicide failed, but unfortunately, he took someone down with him. Lea Rosalia Santos Zamora, a 18 year old with an exceptionally bright future. Lea's mother only has one request. Go to the four corner states of America, Washington, California, Florida, and Maine. Make whirligigs in for Lea, so that even though Lea is dead, she can still affect people all over America

Set on this quest, Brent travels the country, building whirligigs in lea's honor. He discovers that all actions do have consequences, whether they are good actions or bad, someone is always affected by your work. For better or for worse.


I know what your thinking. This book sounds totally cool, so whats with the 2 stars? Well it does sound cool. That's why I wanted the book. It had complete potential. but whirligig, didn't live up to its expectations. The book moves way to fast. lea is not characterised at all. and how can someone who affected Brent so strongly be barley mentioned, before he goes on his quest. This book could have had such depth, but they only glimpse at topics that could make this book excellent.

It seemed rushed, and I didn't feel much of anything when I finished. the flash forwards to when people discovered the whirligigs, were seemingly random, but could have been knit into the story making it  much, much better.

the one thing I liked is how they did the whole 'actions have consequences' thing, because when you initially read that, you think how its bad that he drank and drove, and killed lea. then that changes when you realise that the humiliation at the party lead to Brent's drinking, which lead to Lea's death, which lead to Brent's whirligigs, which humbled Brent, and inspired so many other people, and impacted their lives.
and its kind of cool when you inspect the chain of events.