Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart
Brandon Sanderson
416 pages, 2013
High School

What would happen if super heroes used their powers to rule and oppress instead of help others? Imagine if Superman wanted to run the city, not save the city! That is the world that David lives in. 

At the age of eight, David sees his father and everyone else in the bank killed by Steelheart, an Epic- someone with super powers. Nobody knows what can harm Steelheart, no one has seen him bleed and survived to tell, except for David. Seeking revenge for his father's death, David joins the Reckoners, a underground group out to upset the tyranny of the Epics. But despite all their research and David's notes, they still can't figure out how to harm Steelheart. Yet someone has to try.

I really enjoyed this book. While it seemed to take me a while, it read really face. Great pace, lots of action, but also lots of emotion behind the action. Sanderson has created a great balance between the action/fighting/getaway scenes and the emotion that drives people. That creates an interest in the character, a need to know what happens next, plus a connection between character and reader. Excellent balance of these various elements. 

I will definitely be recommending this book to people. I'll say teenager, high school ages, mostly because of violence in it- lots of gun fights, injuries, high speed chases, that sort of thing. Not really swearing (at least what we consider swearing- they have their own made up stuff) or anything inappropriate. Great read if you like action movies!

The Limit

The Limit
by Kristen Landon
304 pages
Elementary-Middle School


A girl was taken from Matt's school today.  Taken to go to a workhouse until her family got back under the debt limit.  But Matt doesn't have to worry about anything: his dad is successful and about to sign the biggest deal in his life.   Money has never been a concern for his family.

Then at the grocery store, it happens.  His mother's credit card is rejected?!?!  How can that be?  Frantic, his mother drags him and his younger sisters out of the store.  They try to call his dad, but get no answer.  By the time they get home, a long black car is already there, waiting to take Matt away to work off the family debt.  Although he rights, he has no choice but to go with "Honey Lady," the obnoxiously sweet manager of his new home, a workhouse for children.

Once there, Matt is scared and alone.  Tomorrow's test will determine what level he works on, how much he will make for his family, and what kind of conditions he will live in.  Will it be kids crammed together like level 4?  Or the super posh level 1 with all the perks?  But more important, why won't his family answer his emails?  And above all, why are all the kids getting headaches?  That can't be good for their work...

This book could be a great introduction into dystopian novels for boys.  It's not too frightening or violent, so fairly suitable for late elementary and middle school students. 

I like Matt's character and how he reacts to things.  He seems fairly typical for the age, even if a little more proactive about things.  I know lots of kids that might not necessarily like a situation, but being willing to break tons of rules and think outside the box to accomplish things seems a little unusual.  But, if he was really as smart as portrayed, then I could see him doing these types of things. 

Another thing that I enjoyed is the fairly realistic situations: boys playing basketball, brother and sister not getting along, boys getting into mischief, and stuff like that.  While some of Matt's actions seemed a little outside the norm, the daily interactions seemed normal and believable.

Overall, pretty good book.  If you have a kid that wants to read Hunger Games or The Maze Runner but isn't quite old enough, give this one a try!

Ender's Game

Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card
352 pages
Middle School+

 At a young age, Ender Wiggin is drafted to fight the alien Buggers.  He's brilliant, a great strategist, and 6 years old.  After rejecting his older brother for excessive violence, and then sister for not being aggressive enough, Ender seems like the best hope for mankind against the next Bugger invasion.  With nothing besides the clothes on his back, Ender is sent off to Battleschool.

Up in the space station of Battleschool, Ender is not the only child prodigy.  He's not even the smallest, but he might be the best.  Quickly adapting to the life of classes and simulated battles, Ender excels.  He is innovative, bright, and beating students that have been there years longer than he has.  On the outside, life couldn't be better.

But Ender's life is lonely.  He misses his sister, his victories feel hollow, and the simulated games are losing their appeal.  If Ender really is mankind's best hope, then where is his hope and happiness?

Wow, what a book.  Super powerful, and even more the next time you read it.  Knowing what you learn at the end of the book (don't jump ahead!  Read it in order) makes the rest of it really interesting.  Like a lot of other books, the more times you read it, the deeper and more significant references and actions in the book are.  Definitely read this more than once.

This book is full of people doing bad things and withholding secrets for the "greater good."  Even within the book, there are consequences for these people, but how much suffering do we let people go through for their own good?  While ultimately, it saves the world, what damage does it do to Ender and his friends?  Is that trade off acceptable?  I could write papers upon papers on this book (not that I really want to, but hey, there are enough issues to keep a writer occupied for years).

I know they are doing a movie on this, and I have mixed feelings about how it will turn out.  While I'm excited for a lot of it, but I'm also not quite sure how they are going to get all of Ender's angst and personal struggles communicated to the audience.  So much of the book happens in Ender's head: are they going to change that?  Make him more reactive to people?  Should be interesting to see the movie!

So, overall, great book that makes the reader think.  Deep, thought provoking, and a little disturbing at times.  While the characters in the book are young, I would give this mostly to high school student, and maybe the occasional middle school.  Lots of violence in the book, both military and person to person, not to mention a little language.  Not knowing what the movie is like yet, don't know if you need to read the book before you seen the movie or not...  But amazing book!  Have fun and read it!


Quick note about sequels or companion books- I liked Ender's Shadow and that series a lot more than the Speaker for the Dead series.  To me, the books that followed Ender (Speaker for the Dead) just got weird and hard to read, but I last read them as a teen.  Ender's Shadow was much more interesting to me.  But that is just by opinion. 

Divergent

Divergent
by Veronica Roth
496 pages
High School+

Long ago, the vices of men destroyed the world.  To prevent that from ever happening again, the factions were formed to bring out the best in people. At the age of sixteen you decide which faction you want to live in: Amity, Candor, Erudite, Abnegation or Dauntless become your family.  While some stay within the one they are raised in, others choose to change factions, leave their family, and start a new life.

Beatrice Prior grew up in Abnegation, always striving to be selfless and serve others.  While her parents and brother are great examples of this, she struggles to have the right frame of mind.  When her birthday comes, and she finally get to attend the choosing ceremony, instead of staying with her family, she leaves and joins Dauntless, the brave faction. On top of this, her brother, less than a year older than her and choosing his own faction, leaves to become an Erudite.

Life in the Dauntless compound is so wildly different than Beatrice could ever have imagined.  Guns and fighting classes are just the beginning.  Now known as Tris, she struggles to adapt but also hides a secret: when tested to see which faction she should belong to, her results were very abnormal.  She is Divergent, not really conforming to any one faction and able to think outside the traditions of any of the factions.  She thinks for herself, and that is dangerous.  If people learned about her secret, it could be very dangerous for her, and them.

So, I actually read this months ago, and decided to reread it since the third book is coming soon (October!) plus they are making a movie from it.  Looking back at my blog, I couldn't believe I hadn't blogged it back when I first read it.  I enjoyed it then, and I enjoyed it again, so great book!  Even knowing what happened the second time through, I had a good time reading.

Once again, truth and secrecy is a big theme in the distopian world.  Apparently the world goes to pieces because of secret plans the government doesn't want you to know about.  Even revamped governments get it wrong.  But even between individuals, truth can effect relationships.

Another big theme is bravery.  Dauntless is based on bravery but over the course of Dauntless history, the meaning of bravery has changed.  Tris sees what it has become, but isn't quite sure if she likes what she sees.  She has to discover what it means for her to be brave, personally.

Overall, great book.  I would definitely say high school or mature middle school aged, mostly because of lots of violence in the book.  While there is a little romance, it never really gets beyond kissing.  Great book, eager to see how everything gets tied up at the end!

The Elite (Selection Series #2)

The Elite, A Selection Novel
by Kiera Cass
323 pages
Middle School+

America Singer has survived the cut, and is now in the top 6 left competing for the hand of Prince Maxon and to become the next queen of Illéa.  Still confused about her feelings for Maxon, she's not quite sure how much she really wants to stay or why she wants to stay.  Her feelings for Maxon have grown over the past weeks, to the point where she would miss him if she left.

Added to the mix is America's old boyfriend, Aspen.  He is in the palace serving as a guard.  While he had broken up with her right before she started the Selection, he claims she still has his heart.  Every time he is near, she is flustered and giggly.  Torn between Aspen and Maxon, America isn't sure what to feel about either one.

And on top of all of this, she must compete with the other girls.  While naturally friends with some, others will never be remotely close to her.  Pressure from them, plus the royal family, starts getting to her.  With rebels attacking, secrets being revealed, and visiting officials from other nations, America has never been so stressed.  How can she decide what she feels when she never gets a moment to think about it?

Can I just say, grrrrrr!  The first book was a complete cliff hanger, and this one wasn't much better.  A few things are resolved, but not enough.  Still so many unanswered questions, and things up in the air.  So aggravating!  And now I have to wait again for the next book.  Grrrrr!

Okay, getting over that, let's move on.  I was continually bothered by America's fickleness on who she likes.  When she kisses Maxon, she likes him, but when she's with Aspen, she likes him.  While I can understand her uncertainty when it comes to wanting to be a princess (and queen), I have the hardest time accepting that she is always flipping between the two.  Just choose and get it over with!

Other than that, I really enjoyed the book.  Very gripping, kept me wanting to read, and I like some of the developments and background that we are getting.  I get the sense that the rebels will be very important, but nothing significant has really happened with them yet.  America is starting to develop a greater purpose that just being there for the competition, and I hope to get more in the next book.  While the Selection is the reason America is there, I really want to see more in the other areas, not just this silly love triangle.

Overall, pretty good book, but aggravating at times.  Will definitely appeal to girls more than boys, and those looking for romance more than action.  I will recommend sparingly, but definitely need to read the first one before this one.  Good, but be prepared to be left hanging!

Partials

Partials
by Dan Wells
480 pages
Middle School+

Kira Walker somehow survived the Partial War and RM- the disease that wiped out over 90% of the population when she was a child.  Banding together with other survivors, they struggle on, trying to avoid the attention of the Partials as well.  Partials are superhuman constructs, that look human but have capacities far beyond the normal human.  Scared of Partials and of RM, humanity huddles and hopes for a uncertain future.

Kira, now 17 years old, works in a maternity ward, watching babies being born, but almost immediately dying of RM.  Heart broken and tired of watching babies dies, she starts researching about the disease and how it can be stopped.  Searching through past research, she can tell almost everything has been tried, with no results.  But she gets an idea.  What about going to the source- the Partials that gave humanity RM?

After approaching her superiors with the proposal- catch a Partial to study it- and being straight away turned down, she can't give up the idea.  This is the only thing that hasn't been tried, why won't they let her try it?  Instead of taking no for an answer, Kira plots to cross into Partial territory, capture one, and study it.  Together with some friends, she sets out.

This was really good!  Took me a little while to get into, but after getting into it, it grabbed me.  I had heard positive and negative reviews, but I am glad I read it!  And I definitely want to find the sequel- while it's not a cliff-hanger ending, there's definitely more to do, and more to discover!  I want to read the next book, which is always a good sign.

One of the huge themes in this book is truth and transparency.  The government is definitely not telling the people the whole truth, let alone being clear on the reasons for their actions.  Kira is keeping secrets, and learns more throughout the book.  Truth changes her, the community, and more.  Truth is a very powerful possession in this book.

Another big theme is personal rights versus survival of the group as a whole.  There is a law in this world that women must be pregnant, in order to help continue the existence of the human race.  And they keep lowering the age; in the novel it starts at 18, and by the end it is lowered to 16 at one point.  Women specifically are expected to give up their person rights in order to just try to continue the human race.  When do individual rights become less or more important that survival?

Overall, pretty good book.  I enjoyed it a lot.  A few things seems a little cliche (evil government officials, evil Partial that might not be so evil), but I liked the style and the overall story.  I will recommend to teens, probably more the later middle school to high school age.  Boys might enjoy, for the action, but I can see girls being more into the issues than boys.  Good book!  If they like The Hunger Games or Maze Runner, this would be another good pick!