Uglies by Scott Westerfield

For those who love the Hunger Games, this series is for you! However it was actually written before the hunger games. 'Uglies' is the first in the series followed by 'Pretties', 'Specials' and 'Extra's! 

Scott Westerfield

Uglies is set in an unnamed futuristic city in Northern California three hundred years in the future and the genre comes under 'Science Fiction '. 

On their sixteenth birthday all citizens of the fictional society receive this “pretty” operation which, as its name implies, turns people into the biological standard of beautiful. After the operation, the new pretties cross the river that divides the city’s inhabitants and begin the section of their lives in which they have no responsibilities or obligations. In total, there are three operations; the first transforms people from “uglies” (unchanged teenagers), to “pretties” (young adults over the age of sixteen free to do what ever they want). Another one transforms “pretties” to “middle-pretties” (adults who hold a job), and a third transforms “middle-pretties" to "crumblies. " 

IF EVERYBODY LOOKED THE SAME, EVERYONE WOULD BE EQUAL!

Gremlin

Tally Youngblood, the protagonist, is about three months from her sixteenth birthday at the opening of the story. Much like every other ugly in the city, she awaits the operation with great anticipation. Tally’s best friend, Peris, has already made the transition and motivated by her desire to see him,  she sneaks across the river to New Pretty Town, the home of all new pretties. There she meets the character Shay, another ugly who was also sneaking around in New Pretty Town. They quickly become friends and Shay teaches Tally how to ride a hoverboard. Shay also mentions thoughts of rebellion against the operation. At first, Tally ignores all these ideas, but is forced to deal with the concept as Shay runs away from the city a few days before their shared sixteenth birthday.

On the day of Tally’s operation, she is taken to Special Circumstances, a branch of her city’s government that is described to be “like gremlins, ” and “blamed when anything weird happens. ”. The character Dr. Cable is a woman described as “a cruel pretty” with a razor voice, sharp teeth, and non-reflexive grey eyes. She is the head of Special Circumstances and gives Tally an ultimatum to either help them locate Shay, and more importantly the Smoke, or to never become pretty. After some thought, Tally sides with Special Circumstances. Dr. Cable gives her a hoverboard and all the necessary supplies to survive in the wild, along with a heart shaped locket that is actually a tracking device. Once activated, it will inform Dr. Cable of her location, and thus the location of the Smoke. She then sets off to find her friend.

SMOKE=REBELLIOUS SETTLEMENT 

After a little less than a week of travel, Tally arrives at the Smoke, where she finds Shay, her friend David, and an entire community of runaway uglies. She finds herself reluctant to activate the pendant, and in her time spent stalling it becomes clear that David has a crush on her. One night, David takes her to meet his parents, Maddy and Az, who are the original runaways from the city, and they explain how the operation does more than “cosmetic nipping and tucking." It actually places lesions in people's brain to make them placid, or “pretty-minded. ” Expressing great horror at what her own city has done, Tally cancels any thoughts of giving away the Smoke, and, in a display of loyalty, throws the locket into a fire without telling anyone that it was a tracker. It is damaged in the flames, which causes it to activate, giving away the Smoke’s location.

(LEGIONS- DAMAGED TISSUE)

From here on they flee (Tally and David) and begin their adventure... A rescue plan. 

 As I am a massive fan of the Hunger Games I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It is writtenso cleverly and there is a quick pace which is brilliant so you won't get bored. I recommend this book there is romance, action and way more.

Recommended-- 12+ 

I loved this book as it is good for reflecting on today's world. There is so much pressure on everyone (especially youths) to look good or a certain way and this book takes this idea and takes it to the extreme. It makes you realise just how mental it is. 

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Book

The Film- 

The Lovely Bones is an incredibly moving book (and film) that really tugs at your heart strings throughout. It is about a 14 year old girl, called Susie Salmon, living in Pennsylvania in the 1970's who is brutally murdered by her neighbour. She tells the story from the place between Heaven and Earth, showing the lives of people around her and how they try to cope with the grief of losing Susie and trying to find the killer.
Her body is never discovered and her parents suffer an unimaginable pain. The strain is far too much and her mother leaves. Her father continues to investigate and over many years maintains contact with the police officer in charge of the investigation. Susie also gets to watch Mr. Harvey and learns of his long list of victims. She also sees him prepare for his next victim - her younger sister Lindsey.


At the start of the book, we are taken through a detailed chapter of the gruelling murder of Susie. Even though it is excellently portrayed, it is quite detailed and I wouldn't recommend it for people who like to have an easy and nice read. 
Rating


4.5/ 5


It is a very interesting, heart-wrenching and bitter sweet book that I wouldn't recommend to anyone under the age of 12. It includes sensitive subjects (Rape, Murder ect) and strong emotions that young children would find hard to comprehend and understand peoples actions due to their emotions.(Grief, love)


My most memorable scene would have to be when it names the other girls Mr.Harvey has murdered. It's not as if its my favourite scene, but the scene is very effective and very well put together to maximise the full impact of the chapter and as the reader we can't comprehend how evil a human being could be.


Effective quotes and analysis:



“He wore his innocence like a comfortable old coat.” 
This describes Mr. Harvey, the serial killer, who has killed and gotten away with it so often that he almost believes his own innocence.



"These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections - sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent - that happened after I was gone."
Susie explains how her death impacted the world while she was in it and how it has impacted the world without her. This is also the basis for the title of the novel.


Thank you for reading :)

The Hunger Games! By Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is a thrilling, post-apocalyptic story of a 16 year old, Katniss Everdeen. It starts in Panem- what is left of North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds absolute power over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle in which only one person can survive.

As punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains. The story follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. Also selected from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son whom Katniss knows from school, who once gave her bread when her family was starving.

Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol where their drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th Hunger Games, instructs them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes. They are then publicly displayed to the Capitol audience in a televised session with interviewer Caesar Flickerman. During this time, Peeta reveals on-air his long-time unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss believes this to be a ploy to gain audience support for the Games, which can be crucial for survival, as audience members are encouraged to send gifts like food, medicine, and tools to favored tributes during the Games. The Games begin with 11 of the 24 tributes dying in the first day, while Katniss relies on her well-practiced hunting and outdoor skills to survive. As the games continue, the tribute death toll increases. A few days later, Katniss develops an alliance with Rue, a 12-year-old girl from the agricultural District 11 who reminds Katniss of her sister Prim.

Katniss Everdeen is the 16-year-old protagonist. She lives in a region of District 12 known as the Seam, which is the poorest area of the district. She lives with her mother and sister, Primrose, whom she calls simply "Prim". Her father died before the beginning of the story in a mining accident. She is described as having dark hair, olive skin, and gray eyes. She is best friends with Gale Hawthorne. She makes a living by illegally hunting with Gale in the forest borders of her district and selling her catch in the Hob, District 12's black market. She volunteers to be a tribute in the Games in order to save her sister, Primrose Everdeen, who was originally chosen. She must enter the Games along with Peeta Mellark and have the mentorship of Haymitch Abernathy. Katniss has mixed feelings for both Peeta and Gale.

Peeta Mellark is 16 years old as well, and was born in the richer part of the district to a baker. He has wavy blond hair and blue eyes, a physical indicator of the wealthier people who were born in town, and is described as being very strong. He is the chosen male tribute to represent District 12. He saves Katniss's life multiple times, and has had a crush on her since he first saw her at age 5 at school but never had the courage to reveal it until the Games.

Haymitch Abernathy is the mentor of Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen, and is the tribute winner of the 50th Hunger Games. Haunted by the nightmares of the Games he was in, he is rarely sober throughout the book. At first he does not bother to protect Peeta and Katniss from the doom awaiting them in the Games, but after they prove their strength he guides them through the Games.

Gale Hawthorne is 18 in the first book of the trilogy, and is Katniss's best friend. They've met up in the woods for years prior to the beginning of the novel and since then became best friends and hunting partners. Gale's appearance is similar to Katniss's, as is true of most people who live in their area. Gale became head of the Hawthorne family after his father was killed along with Katniss's father in the same mine explosion. Katniss mentions that Gale is, "the only person with whom I can be myself."

Recommendation- This book is the best book (and trilogy) that I've read in a while. Although it is a gruelling story we can somehow relate to Katniss. She is skilled and beautiful and that is what Peeta falls for.

Ages= 12+

This book receives a wide audience as it doesn't just focus on the 'love' between Katniss and Peeta but on the gory action of the book. It is a well balanced novel and I just couldn't stop reading. Each page was better than the next and you just couldn't wait to find out what happened next. However you did find yourself feeling sad that the book had finished- there was no pleasing me!

TEAM PEETA TEAM PEETA TEAM PEETA TEAM PEETA TEAM PEETA TEAM PEETA TEAM PEETA

Raven's Gate - Anthony Horowitz

Plot

Matt Freeman is a fourteen-year-old orphan who gets into trouble with the law in the opening chapter of Raven’s Gate and is sent off to a remote village in the Yorkshire countryside for rehabilitation. Officially, he is part of the L.E.A.F. project (Liberty and Education Achieved through Fostering) but unofficially, he becomes a mere servant to his foster parent Jayne Deverill and is forced to help out on her farm.

As wretched as his daily life might be, Matt realizes that something quite sinister is going on at the farm and that something is not quite right with Mrs Deverill. When Matt sees lights and hears whispers coming from an abandoned nuclear power station, he becomes more suspicious and realizes that, somehow, all of the local villagers of Lesser Malling are involved. Matters come to a head when it seems that everyone who tries to help him lands up dead. Can he escape before he becomes the next victim?

Favourite Quote

"He ran his tongue over his lips. His mouth was parched. For a moment, he thought he smelled something burning. The jug was so close to him - only a few metres away. He reached out to it, pulling it towards him with his mind.The jug smashed. It seemed to explode, almost in slow motion. For a split second the water hung in the air, its tentacles sprawling outwards. Then it splashed down on to the table, on to the pieces of glass."

This is my favourite quote as it merges into the storyline nicely and we get a taste of what Matt is capable of and what is to come in the story.

Blurb

He always knew he was different.

First there were dreams.

Then the deaths began.
When Matt Freeman gets into trouble with the police, he's sent to be fostered in Yorkshire. It's not long before he senses there's something wrong with his guardian: with the whole village.Then Matt learns about th Old Ones and begins to understand just how different he is. Bu no one will believe him; no one can help.

There is no proof.

There is no logic.

There is just the Gate.

Recommendation

Raven’s Gate is the first book in a five-part series, and Matt is the first of five children we will meet who will eventually save the world. This series is certainly recommended to lovers of fantasy fiction and for people looking for an alternative to the ever more prevalent vampire books.

Star Rating- 3.5/ 5

Although this book is exciting, after a while the storyline drags on a bit towards the end of the story when Anthony Horowitz is trying to unfold the mystery. I would also recommend this book to 11+ as it isn't a challenge compared to what I usually read.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman


Blurb-
Callum is a nought - a second class citizen in a world run by Crosses... Sephy is a cross, daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country.... In their world, noughts and Crosses simply don't mix. And as hostility turns to violence, can Callum and Sephy possibly find a way to be together? They are determined to try. And then the bomb explodes...


This is by far one of the best trilogies I've ever read in my life! After Noughts and Crosses there are 3 other books- Knife Edge, Checkmate and Double Cross. These books continue on the story of the world of racism with many twist and turns in the road. In the beginning of the first book, it introduces the main characters and the idea of what's to come. It starts off with Sephy and Callum as little toddlers then skips a few years to when Sephy is 14 and Callum is 16. Although there's a year and a half between them, they fit together perfectly. Throughout the book you think they are going to confess their love for each other but not until the end does it finally comes out. Whilst Callum fight the tough Nought life of his Dad being imprisoned for a terrorist attack (which he didn't do) and getting killed whilst trying to escape prison, Lynette (his sister) committing suicide and everyone hating the sight of him for the simple fact of his skin colour. Sephy battles her crumbling parents, drunk mother, abusive dad and her difficult relationship with her best friend Callum. It is an emotional roller-coaster and I promise you will become close to tears on a few occasions. I urge you to read this wonderful book- it is educational, it gives you an insight into the lives of discriminated people and takes you on a journey!


Rating *****
Age recommendation 12-50
(Explicit cases and scenarios. Although it will capture older readers)
Why I loved it: Malorie Blackman writes from all different perspectives and therefore we get more of an insight into how the situation affects all different people. Some people are more interesting to read than others My favourite were Callum, Sephy and Jude. There are so many surprises waiting around the corner waiting to surprise you. When I read books they are leading so, I guess what is going to happen. But with this book it surprised me every time! It explores sensitive areas but we can relate to how the characters feel. Areas such as: Boys, Bullying,Pregnancy, Not fitting in, Alcoholism, Violence to get their voices heard, Racism, Peer pressure and the Apartheid. It explains the apartheid but it is in reverse in the book! That's what makes it so capturing and interesting!
Improvements: NONE. An excellent book and an amazing read!!


Take a look on Malorie Blackman's website http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/
It provides you with links to purchase her books. Blurbs, plots and her other books.
ENJOY :D

The short second life of Bree Tanner

This novel branches off from the twilight saga. In eclipse, newborn vampires attack the Cullen Clan and this is a story of one of them.

The title says it all: 16-year-old Bree Tanner was introduced briefly in Eclipse, and this explores her experiences as she learns how to be a vampire, under the direction of Riley, also introduced in Eclipse. Riley's Seattle coven is made up of teen, street kids, still learning to control their blood lust; they hunt without remorse. When Bree meets Diego, a supernaturally beautiful vampire , they spend a day together and find an intense romantic connection. Diego shares his own discoveries about being a vampire. But then Riley's plans for this army of newborn vampires to attack the Cullen Clan, sends Bree and Diego in different directions and soon it's all over.

It's a tragic novel however it is quite short. I thoroughly enjoyed it but Bree's human life isn't explored. Her romance with Diego mimics the romantic touch in the twilight saga novels. The vampire violence is heavier and darker than the other twilight books and none sympathy is shared for the Cullens. I would give it 4/5 stars as I would've loved if Bree's human life is fully explored. My favourite quote is "I didn’t want to speak up and draw attention, but I wished somebody would decide something. I was really thirsty, and I didn’t care much whether we went right or left or over the roof. I just wanted to find some unlucky people who wouldn’t even have enough time to think wrong place, wrong time" I love this quote as this really explores the bloodlust of the newborn vampires and they don't even care who the victim is.

By Ciara McAree

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone...

My favourite quote:

"Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

This is my favourite quote as the 'Sorting Hat' presents himself as a character and not just a hat! Plus, I love the rhyming and humour!

You've probably heard of this book already, and if you haven't read it yet I think you'll enjoy it.

This is a story about Harry and his two new friends settling down for their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry only to discover that they have a part to play in the downfall of the evil Sssh! You-Know-Who. You will like Harry Potter. He's shy and self-doubting and puts up with a lot from his awful aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon and fat cousin Dudley. Poor Harry lost his parents, supposedly in a car crash, when he was a baby and that was when he received the strange lightning-shaped scar across his forehead. Ever since then he has slept in the cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys' perfectly normal house in Privet Drive and the best thing he has to look forward to is starting at the local secondary school next term - well away from Dudley who will be going to his father's old, expensive school, Smeltings.

But, other people know a lot more about Harry than Harry does himself. That lightning-shaped scar is a matter of enormous interest and Harry is about to discover that he has a lot of friends, and enemies, in a rather different kind of world from the one he was brought up in.

This is a book about magic, but there's plenty of reality. Settling into a new school, making friends, learning who to trust and who not to trust and when to obey school rules and when to overlook them. There's a great deal of humour in the book. You might find the magic funny - visit Diagon Alley to purchase all your Hogwart's kit - but there is strong evil magic too and you won't doubt the courage that Harry has to show in the final chapter.

I really enjoyed the action in this book as well as the humour! My favourite part is when Harry is talking to Lord Voldemort because J.K.Rowling describes the tension and fear Harry feels. Also, when Harry plays his first Quiddich match, you feel like you're actually there! I would defiantly give this book 5/5!