Tag: dystopian

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Ending Fear by Deanna Fugett

 

Ending Fear by Deanna Fugett is a well-written dystopian\science fiction novel for middle grade set in a world of “haves” and “have nots.” It was recently published by Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing (L2L2)  on September 23.

 

SYNOPSIS (from Amazon)

Fourteen-year-old Fear learns she was a parachute baby, dumped over the edge of the Gliding Lands as an infant. Fascinated by the floating cities in the sky before, now she’s desperate for answers.

But a slave isn’t likely to get those answers.

When her abusive Downer family throws her from their hovel, Fear takes refuge with a family who shows her love for the first time. Surely they can’t be trusted. Years of abuse and molestation has taught her that.

Then her brother discovers where she’s hiding and tries to kidnap her. Fear will never let him touch her again. Her new family conceals her at the Fallen, a ranch that hides parachute babies from the Uppers who discarded them.

Just as she’s beginning to embrace yet another home, Fear’s new little sister, Happy, is kidnapped and taken to the Uppers’ temple harem. Fear must go against her namesake, find a working hoverpod, and journey to the dreaded Gliding Lands before the little girl’s innocence is ripped from her forever.

Can she save Happy in time?

And will she find answers to the burning question of why anyone would throw her away?

PROS

  1. The first-person point of view is extremely well written and engrossing. Ms. Fugett shows excellent command of her writing craft and manages an interesting story.
  2. The story world of “Downers” and “Uppers” is thought-provoking for varying ages and reading levels. The concept of “haves” and “have nots” isn’t new to literature, but the story offers enough of a twist to distinguish it from other dystopian novels.
  3. The idea of a toxic foster family is presented in a straight-forward manner without being graphic and frightening to younger readers.
  4. The portrayal of a loving family existing outside of conventional two-parent family systems is commendable.

CONS

  1. This book will not openly engage male readers. That doesn’t make the book awful, but I was disappointed that the concepts of rape and abuse from the victim’s side weren’t presented in ways that would draw in male readers. Opportunities to present such ideas in engaging ways is always welcome, but broaching it to male readers is an important opportunity.  Since Ms. Fugett is such a good writer, my hope is that she will consider broadening her content and her appeal across gender lines.
  2. Since I do enjoy speculative fiction, I was disappointed that the setting wasn’t promoted enough, and that it took half of the book before the reader is given a substantive glimpse of the story world. That is one of the drawbacks to an extremely well-written first-person viewpoint. Giving the reader a much clearer view of the world in a way that is natural to the unfolding of the story is difficult.
  3. The biggest of my objections is the way that the topic of abuse and rape are handled. Ms. Fugett wasn’t graphic or disrespectful by any means.  The topics are difficult at best, but also important. There is no reason that the topics can’t be broached in an age-appropriate story. Since Fear is only fourteen, I’m not completely sure the topic was dealt with as well as it could. I don’t wish to imply that Ending Fear promotes anything inappropriate or is graphic,  but I was hoping for more substantive material. I will leave the final conclusion to readers.

COLORING BOOK

There is a companion coloring book available. I am not one to color pictures, but if you are, please feel free to click on the “COLORING BOOK” if you are.

 

CONCLUSION

The book is well-written and interesting, but will probably only appeal to female readers. I do wish the title character Fear would have been written a little older so that talking about abuse and rape could have been given much more context and greater spotlight.  I recommend parents read this book first to decide if their children are at an age where they are ready for the content and it’s implications.

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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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King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard

 
King’s Cage is the third installment of the bestselling Red Queen series. Fans and readers of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy or Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes will enjoy this book. Recommended with reservations. May not be appropriate for younger YA due to sexual content (see Cons).
 

Synopsis

 
In our distant future, nuclear war has changed our world. A mutation gave rise to Silvers – people with silver blood and amazing abilities. Now in power, Silvers subjugate Reds (normal people with red blood and no abilities). Then Mare Barrow arrives: a Red with the ability to control electricity.
In King’s Cage, she is the prisoner of mentally unstable King Maven.
 

Pros:

 
  • Victoria Aveyard has created a rich world full of conflict.
  • Mare’s character learns that pushing people away is a mistake. This makes her more likeable in King’s Cage.
 

Cons:

 
  • King’s Blood is not the end of the series. To some extent, it reads like a bridge novel.
  • The story contains other POV characters, such as Cameron and Evangeline. I enjoyed getting inside Evangeline’s head, but Cameron seemed an odd choice.
  • The author has an LGBTQ+ agenda that becomes evident in this book. One of the characters is a lesbian and there is a brief bedroom scene with her girlfriend. While not descriptive, it made my 12-year-old uncomfortable.
  • [spoiler alert] Mare and Cal begin a sexual relationship. When Farley is having her baby, she convinces the nurse to give Mare the equivalent of a morning-after pill.
 

Final Word

 
Conservative parents should be aware of the sexuality aspects in King’s Cage.
 
I read it after my daughter, so she was interested in my reaction to the lesbian characters and the fact Mare and Cal had sex. Both scenes made her uncomfortable. We were able to discuss authors’ agendas and whether these aspects were integral to the story.
 

Discussion Questions

 
  1. What kind of character is Maven? How did Maven’s mother contribute to making him into the King he becomes? Do you like him or not? Why?
  2. What new things did we learn about Evangeline in King’s Cage? Do they make you like her more or less? Why?
  3. How does Mare and Cal’s relationship evolve over the course of the series? How do you feel about it?
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Jupiter Winds by C. J. Darlington

Scriblerians Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction Reviews

Jupiter Winds by C. J. Darlington is a Young Adult book that is suited to grades 6 and up.  The story is a mixture of science fiction and dystopian.

Grey and her younger sister, Rin,  are surviving in the absence of their parents in a very hostile location on Earth. They make due and get by with the help of their elderly friend, Mrs. March. Running contraband to buy supplies, every day is a risk, and when government forces close in, the sisters are separated.

Jupiter Winds would qualify as a Space Western since it has a fun plot and ignores science as we know it. This particular story is a clean read, completely suitable for middle grade readers and above.

Pros:

  • Let me start with the best parts of the story—intriguing characters and strong pacing. The main character, Grey, and her sister, Rin, had a sweet relationship, taking care of one another in the absence of their parents.
  • My favorite character was Mrs. March, an older mentor lady who can kick butt. What’s not to like?
  • Highly imaginative setting.
  • I abandon many books before I reach the end, but I’ll give credit to Darlington for keeping me involved through the last page, even though I found the ending to be anti-climactic. The author understands how to fade to black and open in another scene. In other words, she kept the story moving at a fine clip. This is a difficult skill to master.

Cons:

  • I would have liked to see more of Jet, since he had an interesting background. The author missed a stellar opportunity—see what I did there?—by leaving Jet out of the picture for the majority of the book.
  • Mrs. March. But didn’t you say you liked her? Yes, but she is also very unbelievable, switching from a kindly old neighbor lady to a warrior spaceship captain in the blink of an eye. The author should have given the reader some hints that Mrs. March wasn’t what she seemed to be before turning her into Kathryn Janeway (Star Trek).
  • The remainder of the characters were straight off the shelf, particularly General What’s-her-name, a Flat Stanley villainess who only lacked a mustache to twirl. She was mean, cruel, sadistic, one hundred percent evil, virtually indestructible, and completely unbelievable.
  • Mom and Dad were cutout characters too; their only role was to provide motivation for the main character.

Science Fiction Lite

To be blunt, this novel is full of bad science. I could overlook this shortcoming if the story had been written before the space age, but these days, even young teens will have to suspend disbelief in a big way because Jupiter Winds revolves around the idea that we’ve misjudged Jupiter by writing it off as uninhabitable.

Jupiter is mostly hydrogen and helium under intense pressure. No spacecraft we could fashion on Earth would be able to withstand the gravitational pressure of the massive planet. That goes double for the frail human frame.

But in this story, humans don’t even require spacesuits to walk on the planet’s colorful sands or breathe its poisonous atmosphere. There are trees and animals native to the planet. The weather’s fine if you overlook the sudden onset of windstorms.

Another key point in the plot hinges on the idea that humans have discovered a shortcut to reach Jupiter in under a week. The very sketchy descriptions of the spaceships evoke crafts of the silent film era combined with silos like those used to house intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

Final Word

I gave this book 3 stars on Goodreads for its lack of scientific realism and because there are no half stars on Goodreads to ease the pain. However, 3 stars seems too severe if you are simply looking for a good time. For keeping me entertained, I would give Jupiter Winds 4 stars, so I have settled for 3.7 which you may round up to 4 stars if you like. Read it if you love Space Westerns. Avoid it if you’re a dedicated fan of hard science fiction.