Thursday, June 30, 2011

Book of the Month - June 2011

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



...Enclave by Ann Aguirre!

Well, it looks like June is another March, meaning that there are only two books to choose from, but this one was the clear winner.

Enclave was very suspenseful and had a well-developed dystopian world modeled off of our own. Part of the reason I liked it so much was that it reminded me of The Hunger Games (which I promise will eventually get a review on here), but it was certainly not a copy of the story in any way. Really, the only similarity was the fighting for survival in various ways. It was certainly a very good suspenseful book that I would strongly recommend!

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

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Enclave

Enclave

Ann Aguirre


Synopsis:
Deuce has finally been fully accepted into the Enclave as a huntress. It is her job, with her partner Fade, to bring in as much meat as she can from the underground network where the Enclave resides. However, this is a job easier said than done. Fade, her partner, is from the outside and has never been fully accepted or trusted by the Enclave. However, that is the least of Deuce's worries. The Freaks, semi-intelligent mutated humanoids, are getting smarter and more organized, so danger lies around every curve in the dark tunnels. However, when the Enclave refuses to listen to Deuce and Fade about the threat, they are banished to the topside, the true surface of Earth that is even more dangerous than the underground tunnels. Fade and Deuce have only one hope to life: escape to the north, a place rumored to be truly safe from gangs, rival Enclaves, and gruesome Freaks.

My Thoughts:
Enclave is one of my favorite recent YA dystopian novels. The brutal struggle for survival reminds me of Katniss in the arena of Hunger Games, however Deuce's companion, Fade, is slightly more helpful that Peeta when it comes to the constant fights for survival. The suspense in this book was well maintained by a few key plot twists, mainly the transition from the tunnels to topside, but certain alliances were interesting and frustrating to the reader. The book clearly shows how in desperate situations, deadly enemies can be come invaluable allies. It also warns us that ignorant stubbornness can lead to one's demise. Thinking back to the book, I am curious what the Freaks really are. At first, I thought they had once been humans that caught some sort of terrible disease, such as in The Enemy, but since they were getting more intelligent, that theory seems unlikely. My one complaint about the book is that the end seemed a little bit too easy and perfect. I have heard rumors of a sequel, though I haven't looked into it, so maybe it will make me feel better about the supposed utopia that was found. Aside from that one complaint, this book really was a great read, and a quick one, too, if only for the fact that you won't want to put it down.

Questions for Thought:
1. What job would you want to have in the Enclave?

2. Would you try to resist the poor leadership in the Enclave, or would you play it safe and just deal with it? If you would resist, how would you go about it, and how would you change things?

3. Were you banished, would you try to survive in the tunnels or go topside?

4. Had you been in the Enclave your entire life and were suddenly thrown into strange life on the surface, what would your plan be?

5. Would you ever be able to trust an ally that had once tried to kill you and your best friend?


Please leave your comments and answers!

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The Marbury Lens

The Marbury Lens

Andrew Smith


Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Jack, after drinking far too much at an end-of-the-year party, finds himself kidnapped by a local serial killer. After days of abuse and frantic stuggle, Jack manages to escape his captor, but the experience has haunted him. Jack only confides in his best friend, Conner, but they agree not to tell anyone and risk canceling their two-week stay in London that summer. Conner tries to reassure Jack that things will be okay once they reach London, but after arriving, Jack is handed a strange pair of glasses by a stranger, and by looking through the glasses, Jack can see into another world. In this world, Jack is responsible for two young boys, protecting them from hoards of humanoid demons, and Conner is desperately trying to kill him. Meanwhile, back in London, Jack is starting to fall in love with a beautiful English girl, but his sense of reality is dangerously blurring...

IMPORTANT NOTE: I would tell ANYONE who is not in high school to avoid reading this book, and even if you are in high school you may want to wait a few years. This book had rather excessive cursing in it, not meaning once or twice a chapter, but more like once or twice a sentence. Though this is a slight exaggeration, it isn't by much. Also, there is considerable sexual content in it, so it is NOT a book for young readers.

My Thoughts:
The Marbury Lens was very good, EXTREMELY suspenseful, but at points very confusing. Really, the confusing nature of the book makes it more effective since it chronicles Jack's struggles to deal with serious trauma, and most of the time he had no idea what to think. I had to go back and reread some portions of the book to understand them better, but I still struggled in some parts. As noted above, the book contained a lot of swearing, and even though it plagued the book, I could understand the reason Smith used it so much, partly from hearing certain students talk in my high school combined with the incredible stress that Jack must have been feeling. I would say it helps the reader understand the trauma that Jack feels, but it can be annoying for those who don't approve of, or at least don't use, curse words. The section in Marbury is what really intrigued me, and I wish more time had been spent there. This ruined world, similar to ours, and seemingly connected (especially during the train scene), is very complicated, yet the reader does not get much insight as to the history or laws of Marbury. As I was reading it for enjoyment and not for deeper literary meaning, I didn't really find what Marbury was supposed to symbolize in our world, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Two possibilities that pop in my head are that it shows peoples' true nature, either to follow one's bestial instincts or retain order and compassion for others, or that it was simply the state of someone's mind who has gone through trauma. Either way, it is a complicated yer important part of this book that can be open to individual interpretation. Overall, the story was very well written with excellent characterization, but I can hardly call it a relaxing story, and once again it should only be for older readers.

Questions for Thought:
1. After escaping from Freddie, would you have run to the cops, back home, or to your friend for help?

2. Had you seen Freddie after escaping like Jack and Conner did, what would you have done?

3. After the two traumatic incidents, would you have still gone to London, or would you have stayed home to recover?

4. If some stranger handed you the Marbury Lens, would you keep it? Would you still keep it after looking through it the first time?

5. If you were in Marbury and you saw your best friend trying to kill you, how would you react?

6. If you were in Marbury as one of the "demon people" like Conner, what would you think of yourself?

7. What do you think Marbury is?


Please leave your comments and answers!

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