Month: July 2017

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Sleepers by Darcy Pattison

Sleepers is the first in The Blue Planets Trilogy—notice the plural in Planets.

Based on the premise that Earth is not the only planet that can sustain life as we know it, the people on Rison, another blue planet, need to evacuate because their world is ready to implode. They seek refuge on Earth and propose a workable arrangement. The Risonians have gills, as well as lungs, and are perfectly capable of living underwater. They could reside on the ocean floor while Earthlings continued on the surface of the planet. As with any public project, opinions abound, and debate is fierce.

Fourteen-year-old Jake Rose, half-human and half alien, now lives on earth with his human grandparents while his mother, who is the Risonian ambassador to Earth, works to arrive at a peaceful compromise for both parties. Jake accidentally discovers that Earth’s elite ELLIS forces are trying to sabotage Mt. Rainier in hopes an eruption can be blamed on the Risonian aliens. Although he doesn’t realize it immediately, Jake himself may hold the key to prevent ELLIS from destroying their own planet. Meanwhile, Risonians have their own darker factions, and in the midst of interplanetary tensions, a mysterious illness affects some creatures and not others.

Pros

  1. Truly science fiction, Darcy Pattison offers her readers an entertaining education on volcanology, astronomy, and anatomy. The idea of a person with both gills and lungs fascinated me.
  2. Mysteries and suspense abound. Why does Blevins hate the Risonians? Why are seals dying in Puget Sound? Why has Em disappeared? Are there other Risonians already on earth—Sleepers? Will brown matter destroy earth in the same way that it destroyed Rison? Will Jake and his biological father be able to stop the saboteurs?
  3. The story is complex. Yes, the villains do evil things, but as Jake investigates them, he learns more of their history, which allows the reader to sympathize with Blevins and Hill.
  4. Pattison offers a romantic interest for Jake, the final ingredient to mix into a great YA story.

 

Cons

  1. Pattison gives no graphic details, but the moral ambivalence regarding Jake’s mom’s relationships with Blake Rose on earth and Swann Quad-de on Rison bothered me. This detail might go over the heads of some middle grade readers, but others will have questions, so parents, be prepared with an answer! Pattison, who is a Christian, provided me with one answer: not all cultures share Christian beliefs, Rison being one of those cultures.

 

Discussion Questions

  1. If you had both lungs and gills, where would you prefer to live? On land or under the sea?
  2. Mr. Blevins had to face consequences for his previous, dishonest actions. Was he right to be angry and seek revenge? Why or why not?
  3. Name one thing you learned about volcanoes through this novel.
  4. Is there really such a thing as brown matter? Do a little research and prove your answer!

 

 

 

 

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The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

The Forgetting is the first in a dystopian series. Fans and readers of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy or Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes will enjoy this book. Recommended.
 

Synopsis

 

What isn’t written, isn’t remembered. Even your crimes.

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person’s memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.

In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn’t written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.

 

Pros:

 
  • I loved the premise. What if everyone around you forgot everything about their history every 12 years but you? How would that affect people? Society?
  • The story is rich in conflict – personal, familial, political. All of these work together to create a rich mystery that a reader will keep turning the pages to uncover. And, to me, the reveal was worth the read.
  • The romance, conflict, and topics were suitable for a YA audience. Nothing too extreme, violent, or over sexualized.
  • While there is at least one other novel in the series, the book is complete as its own story. No cliffhanger ending, just a general interest to perhaps read more about what happens one day.

Cons:

 
  • Perhaps a little slow to start.

Final Word

 
I like this author. I’ve read another one of her books (Rook) and enjoyed it. I will continue reading this series and consider picking up some of her other books.
 

Discussion Questions

 
  1. What would you do if you knew you were going to forget everything and everyone in six months? 
  2. If you had to keep a journal like the people in the story, would reading what you wrote about yourself help you know who you are? What would you leave out? What might you embellish? [Consider trying to write a journal entry about your day or week for this purpose.]
  3. Do you think Jonathan made the right decision in not remembering his past? 
  4. If you could go forget a time period from your past, would you? If you could remember something from your past, what would it be?
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Secondborn by Amy A. Bartol

Secondborn is the first in a YA dystopian series that was offered as a Kindle First Read for July 2017. Fans and readers of Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen series will enjoy this book. May not be appropriate for younger YA due to sexual content (see Cons).
 

Synopsis

 

Firstborns rule society. Secondborns are the property of the government. Thirdborns are not tolerated. Long live the Fates Republic.

On Transition Day, the second child in every family is taken by the government and forced into servitude. Roselle St. Sismode’s eighteenth birthday arrives with harsh realizations: she’s to become a soldier for the Fate of Swords military arm of the Republic during the bloodiest rebellion in history, and her elite firstborn mother is happy to see her go.

Televised since her early childhood, Roselle’s privileged upbringing has earned her the resentment of her secondborn peers. Now her decision to spare an enemy on the battlefield marks her as a traitor to the state.

But Roselle finds an ally—and more—in fellow secondborn conscript Hawthorne Trugrave. As the consequences of her actions ripple throughout the Fates Republic, can Roselle create a destiny of her own? Or will her Fate override everything she fights for—even love?

 

Pros:

 
  • I enjoyed the storyworld. The Fates have a similar feel to Divergent’s different classes. That all the buildings are cement trees is fascinating. 
  • The story is rich in conflict – personal, familial, political. I’m interested to see where the series will go.
  • The main character is likeable despite her upbringing. You root for her and respect her at the same time.

Cons:

 
  • Oversexualized for my taste. The first time Roselle kisses a boy she happens to get naked with him in a shower. The scenes are a bit steamy (pun intended). They don’t have sex in the story, but I wouldn’t want my younger YA daughters to read this.
  • There’s a gap of several months in the middle of the book. The effect is jarring. I would have preferred a transition chapter or something.
  • Our heroine is on the unbelievable side. She’s basically indestructible, gorgeous, and amazingly intelligent all at the same time.

Final Word

 
I enjoyed the book. It was a solid read and I might pick up the next one(s) when it comes out, but it won’t be my first choice among the myriad of cleaner dystopian YA in the marketplace.
 

Discussion Questions

 
  1. What is your birth order? Would you be a firstborn, secondborn, or something else? Which do you think is the best position? 
  2. What do you think of Roselle’s relationship with her mother and brother? How might things have turned out differently if her mother showed her more compassion?
  3. Which of the Fates would you most like to be in and why?
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The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Synopsis

The Midwife’s Apprentice, 1996 Newbery Award winner, realistically depicts the Middle Ages (early fourteenth century) through the eyes of a preteen girl in a simple, narrative style with easy-to-read prose.

Alyce, aka Brat or Dung Beetle, is a street urchin in a small village. She survives as a beggar and a scavenger, eating from garbage heaps and sleeping in mounds of dung. The local midwife takes her in, not merely out of the goodness of her heart. While Alyce becomes known as the midwife’s apprentice, in reality the woman has only given her menial chores and gardening duties. She shows Alyce no affection and doesn’t teach the girl midwifery. Instead, Alyce gathers her small amount of courage, and in peril of being discovered, sneaks into cottages where the midwife has been called so she can observe what is done for mothers and babies. Eventually, Alyce displays skills that rival the midwife. But that is only the external story.

The internal growth going on in Alyce is what won Cushman the Newbery. In a cruel world, Alyce, who has received no encouragement to love others, exercises her God-given compassionate nature and finds her place in the world.

Pros

  1. Karen Cushman provides little known facts of the era, and I never tire of learning history.
  2. Not only does The Midwife’s Apprentice teach a slice of Western Civilization, Cushman also provides an author’s note sharing facts on the history of midwifery.
  3. For all that the style is not what today’s reader is used to, it’s short (my edition had 117 pages), and its simplicity makes it a quick read.
  4. With all the negatives in Alyce’s life, the author is able to portray simple joys through events the girl had never before experienced: the praise of a friend, the gaiety of a country fair, a bath in the river.

Cons

  1. The dialogue is a bit rough on the ears for twenty-first century preteens. The characters’ daily treatment of each other is enough to warrant family discussions!
  2. TMI. The nature of the midwife’s job may be more information than you wish your ten-year-old to absorb. Without being graphic in every detail, the author gives a no-holds-barred portrait of the hard work and messiness required in labor and delivery.
  3. With nothing sugar-coated as mentioned above, I’m not sure upper elementary school children are ready for this book, even though the protagonist starts out around twelve years old.

Discussion Questions

Pick a page, any page, and you will find several topics for discussion—from the harsh times of the Middle Ages to the puzzle of the midwife’s motivations in dealing with Alyce as she did. The woman has some redeeming qualities after all.

My Recommendation:

If you proactively guide your children in becoming aware of the darkness of humanity in the safety of your home, I recommend this novel wholeheartedly.

If you prefer to protect your children for a little while longer, then save it for another year, or five.