Candor

Candor

Pam Bachorz

Synopsis:
Candor is the worlds only perfect town. Every lawn is always mowed, people are never late to work, and everyone knows each other. All kids excel at school, do their chores, and are courteous all of the time. The town's founder, Campbell Banks, is very proud of his town, and especially of his son, Oscar, the town's most gifted student who everyone wishes their child could be like. What Mr. Banks doesn't know is that Oscar is trying to rebel as much as he can. Oscar knows the town's secret: the music that plays throughout the town is filled with messages that brainwash your subconscious, making every citizen into one of the crowd, not an individual. Oscar has figured out how to resist, and he know sells this talent to rich kids to get them out of Candor before it is too late. One day, a new girl moves into town, and captures Oscar's heart with her rebellious attitude. Oscar is torn between trying to get her out before she loses herself to Candor, or keeping her for himself. When Oscar starts breaking his facade as the perfect student, people begin to get suspicious, and his cover is nearly blown...

My Thoughts:
This was a very hard synopsis to write well, so I am afraid it does not do this book justice. This was a VERY good book, one of the best I read this month. Even though the book was rather easy-going, I was hooked and hated when I had to stop reading. The concept of the perfect town sounds so wonderful to many people, but the way that it happens here in Candor is very disturbing. It reminds of The Compound in the way that I almost believe that Mr. Banks is somewhat mentally twisted like Eli's father. I ran into this website made by either the author or the publishing company about Candor that I though was very cool and worth checking out: http://www.candorfl.com/ By the end of the book, the action is very intense, and I must warn you that the ending is VERY sad.

NOTE: This book did have some brief sexual references, so it should be cautioned against younger readers.

Questions for Thought:
1. Were you Oscar and you found out about the brainwashing, would you leave, or stay?

2. Would you just ignore Nia and let her meld into the community, get her out immediatly, tell her about the messages and try to help her resist, or run away with her? Or another option?

3. Do you think that the messages would be ethical in any situation?


Please leave your comments and answers!

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Book of the Month - February 2011

The Book of the Month award for February 2011 goes to...

...I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore!

This book, as I believe I said in my review, was one that was very adamantly recommended to my by Amazon.com based on previous purchases, but I was very hesitant to read it. As it turns out, it was VERY good (obviously, since it is the book of the month) and I am very disappointed that it is going to be a few more months for the sequel to come out. The story was very balanced, containing enough action, excitement, romance (if you call it that in high school), sorrow, and just normal day-to-day life. In my opinion, this balance is one of the hardest things to find in a good book.

I would like to appologize that it took me over half way through March to get this simple post up, and I really will try to get them up right at the end of the month in the future. Luckily for me, I can cheat and make the computer say that this was posted on February 28th, but I would rather not have to use this feature. One last comment is that I have not finished any books this month, but I am nearing the end of a long one, and am about a quarter of the way finished with another long one, so I should have a few reviews in the next week or two. Sorry for the three week lull.

Please leave any comments on the book, or your personal book of the month as well!

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I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four
Lorien Legacies #1

Pittacus Lore

Synopsis:
"In the beginning we were a group of nine.
Three are gone, dead.
There are six of us left.
They are hunting us, and they won't stop until they've killed us all.
I am Number Four.
I know that I am next."

Lorien was destroyed by the Mogadorians in a surprise attack that became a massacre. Only one ship was able to escape the bloodshed, carrying nine young Garde and their Cepans. The Garde develop Legacies, special powers that they use to defend Lorien, and the Cepans train them and guide them along the way. These nine were charmed so that they could only be killed in the order of their numbers, but three have been killed, and Number Four, currently known as John, knows that he is next. John and his Cepan, Henri, have moved to Paradise, Ohio, and John is not optimistic about the new town. After a few days of school, John has already sorted out his problems and made a new friend, has a girlfriend, and found a pet dog! Things are looking great, but Henri finds out that the Mogadorians are closing in. John refuses to leave his friends, and the two begin to fight. One day, Henri doesn't come home, and John knows that he is in big trouble...

My Thoughts:
Once again, I don't think that my review gave this book justice at all. I was very skeptical of this book at first, but I decided since the movie was out, I had to read it so I could give you my expert opinion on things. Okay, okay, my average opinion...but anyway, the book was WAY better than I expected! The beginning was a good story just about John's interactions at school, and the alien thing didn't seem too far fetched. It really added to the story. The book does have quite a bit of relationship stuff in it, but unlike Empty where it got in the way, the relationship actually added to the story in my opinion. It made John seem more human, so you can relate to him more. After some generally happy times, my action side was satisfied by the last 30-40% of the book with a huge fight with Mogadorians! The ending was making me look forward to future books with raised stakes, and sad that it was over. I can't wait to see the movie, but I am worried that they are going to mess it up. John already looks WAY to old in the movie, but hopefully it will be better than I expect.

Questions for Thought:
1. Do you think it would be worse being John, not knowing much about your home planet, or Henri, having to live though the loss?

2. Would you be willing to drop everything and leave all of the time like John, or would you fight Henri to stay?

3. Would you tell close friends that you are an alien? Would you trust them to keep your secret?
Movie Trailer:
http://findnumberfour.com/

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Tunnels

Tunnels
Tunnels Series #1

Roderick Gordon
Brian Williams

Synopsis:
Will Burrows and his father have always loved to dig archaeological tunnels around their town to see what they can find. Mr. Burrows works at the Highfield museum, filling it with his recent finds. One day, a man brings him a mysterious glowing orb that defies laws of chemistry by burning the brightest when exposed to the least amount of light. Mr. Burrows begins investigating the orb, but soon mysteriously disappears. Will, with the help of his friend Chester, find a secret tunnel under the Burrows' house, which must be where Mr. Burrows has wandered off to. Will and Chester head down the extensive tunnel, and they find an old elevator system. They go down, and at the bottom find an old, subterranean civilization! Unfortunately for Chester and Will, the city is still populated and they are quickly arrested, being hated "topsoilers". Soon, a family comes and claims that Will is their long lost son, taken to the surface by his deranged mother! Will is confused, but begins to learn that this new underground civilization is much more sinister than he could have expected. He knows he must find a way to get himself and Chester back to the surface before it is too late...

My Thoughts:
This is actually the second time I have read this book, and I definitely got a lot more out of it. The book was great, with many big plot twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat, especially the first time I read it. The concept of a whole civilization underground is very intriguing, and it is even more so seeing as it is where Will really comes from. The writing really makes you get attached to the characters, and this only grows as the series continues. Overall, a great book with lots of mystery and suspense.

Questions for Thought:
1. What would you think of the strange men in trenchcoats and dark glasses if they appeared in your town?

2. How would you react if your father (or guardian) mysteriously disappeared?

3. Were you Chester, would you have followed Will down the tunnel and down the elevator, not knowing what would happen?


Please leave your comments and answers!

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Empty

Empty

Suzanne Weyn

Synopsis:
The world is running out of oil. Gas prices have skyrocketed, power goes out for days at a time, and stores wait for days to be restocked. War with Venezuela begins over an oil embargo, and terrible storms caused by global warning threaten to destroy miles of coastal towns. For teens Gwen, Tom, and Niki, it seems to be the end of the world. However, even with all of the chaos, the three teens still have time for their ordinary problems. Gwen has always had a crush on Tom, but she can't seem to get him to notice her. Tom, on the other hand, is desperate to go out with Niki, who has previously been dating the star football player. Still, he does find a strange appeal toward Gwen that he can't explain. Niki is still upset from her break-up, and thinks dating Tom will make her old boyfriend jealous so they can get together again. The relationships between the main characters complicate with the situation of the dropping oil. When a super-hurricane ravages their town, a war starts with people fighting for any supplies they can get. Will the three teens be able to find a solution before the world tears itself apart?

My Thoughts:
I think that the concept of the book is a lot better than the book itself. In my opinion, the relationships took the main plot of the story with the oil crisis there just to complicate the already complicated. And the relationship things that are mentioned aren't really that special. I hear of things similar (without the oil crisis, of course) at school frequently. The parts where Weyn shows her thoughts of how society would react to the shortage of oil were way more interesting and exciting than the rest of the book. At the end, I did still feel the need to go find ways to use less gas, as a book like this should, but I think that there could have been more stress on how bad it made people's lives, not how much it complicates high school dating.

Questions for Thought:
1. If you had limited access to electricity, what would you power? Your cell phone? Laptop? Air conditioning/heating?

2. If you were Gwen and had found the house, would you keep it to yourself instead of risking getting killed for your supplies?

3. What do you think will happen when we really do run out of oil?

One quick unrelated note: Once again, I am VERY sorry that it took me this long to get the review up. Some unexpected conflicts came up, and this is becoming common. From now on, if I say a book review coming tomorrow, it may likely mean "next weekend", even though I do not wish for this to be the case.

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Everwild

Everwild
Skinjacker Trillogy
Book 2

Neal Shusterman

Synopsis:
Nick and Allie have now gone their separate ways, fighting their own separate battles. Nick, now known around Everlost as the dreaded Chocolate Ogre, is trying to free as many souls from Everlost as he can, saving them from Mary's misguided views of Everlost. Allie has gone a totally different direction, starting to venture home with Mikey, the recently transformed McGill. She meets a new band of Skinjackers that teach her secrets, but the leader, Minoh, seems to be hiding things from her, plotting behind her back. At the same time, Nick realizes that a war is coming between him and Mary, and he needs all of the help Everlost can provide. With new powers of Everlost revealed and new, terrible plots from Mary, the stakes for Nick and Allie are higher than ever.

My Thoughts:
I would say that this book is probably better than the first, filled with more action and suspenseful plots. Nick's chocolate situation makes things seem desperate for him, and Mary's deadly plots make the story fast paced and exciting. The alliances that turn on each other make the reader question where true individual plans lie, and I know that I am definitely needing the third book! My one "complaint" is that the book had a little too much romance, and that the relationships are not only irrelevant due to the circumstances of Everlost, but they keep switching every time somebody has an argument. Still, the book is very good, and I would definitely encourage you to keep reading the series!

Questions for Thought:
1. What ability would you want to have if you lived in Everlost? (Skinjacking, Ecto-ripping, morphing, etc.)

2. Were you Mikey, traveling with the Skinjackers, would you trust your crush to go off with another guy all day, every day and not follow?

3. What do you think is across the Mississippi?

One quick unrelated note: I am VERY sorry that it took me this long to get the review up. I will try harder to get these up right away, hopefully starting tomorrow with reviews for Tunnels and Empty.

Please leave your comments and answers!

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Blog Update in a Blizzard

Hey Everyone! It's another Blog Update! (I changed the name from Weekend Update to Blog Update because last time it was on a Thursday, and this one is on a Tuesday.)

As you may have noticed, I have not been timely with my book review lately, but they are now up. I have been very busy lately, but I hope to improve.

The main topic of this post is the brand new Facebook page I set up for the blog! So what are you waiting for?!?! Go "Like" it and tell your friends! (For easy access, there is a "Like" button just to the right of this post in the handy-dandy side bar of awesomeness, just beneath the twitter feed.)

Well, maybe not just yet, I guess I have a few more things to say. The purpose of the Facebook page will be to give smaller updates (like what I need to be doing more often on Twitter, sorry about that), spread the word of the blog easier (by having you all like the page and suggest it to your friends, as I have done), and to get more community interaction. This page will make it easier to get your input, suggestions, and book recommendations, as well as converse with other readers.

Oh yeah! You probably are wondering why this update is in a blizzard! As it turns out, I am in a Blizzard Warning right now, either the first or second in my town's history! We had 6 inches a few hours ago, and it has still been snowing. You know what, let me go check the new total...brb...

...okay, it is VERY cold outside. It is hard to tell exactly how much we have due to a layer of ice underneath and wind blowing the snow everywhere, but it is somewhere around 7-8.5 inches, and it is still snowing. For some of you, this sounds like nothing, but for me this is VERY rare, and it was 70 degrees on Saturday.

Well, that's all for now! Have a great rest of the week, and keep reading!

- Corey

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