Generation Dead

A bizarre phenomenon spreads across the U.S. For some unknown reason, recently deceased teens aren’t staying that way. Based on the preconceived notion that zombies—or the living impaired—are dangerous, they are shunned by society, and for many, by their family and former friends.

Despite the fear and prejudice surrounding these teens, the administration at Oakvale High School takes a more progressive approach. But it proves challenging to integrate the dead kids when teachers and “living” students are less than willing to embrace their presence. And some of the living are eager to making their feelings known, especially since the “differently biotic” have no rights and there are no laws to protect them.

Phoebe, a “living” teen who’s into goth, develops a crush on Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids. Neither her best friend, Margi, nor her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team, can believe her feelings for Tommy. To make things more complex, Adam is in love with Phoebe but she doesn’t realize it.

The Hunter Foundation, an organization involved in the physiological, psychological, and sociological research of differently biotic kids, links forces with Oakvale High to offer the Differently Biotic Work Study program. The AP accredited course includes a weekly focus group to help understand the views of the undead and living kids. The goal is for the change in societal views, starting with the teen participants. The researchers are also interested in finding out why some biotic kids are higher functioning compared to others. Phoebe convinces Margi and Adam to sign up.

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters is told from the perspective of three teens: Phoebe, Adam, and Pete. As the story progresses, the reader experiences Adam’s change in attitude towards the dead kids, Phoebe’s growing interest in Tommy and her questioning of his feelings for her, and the driving forces behind Pete’s hatred toward the living impaired.

The compelling story brings to light how our attitudes and prejudices are shaped by our fears and lack of understanding, and how by seeing past these prejudices we can accept others in spite of their differences. It also shows how these prejudices can lead to bully. But most importantly, it demonstrates how we are all responsible for creating change in how society views others, regardless of their race, age, interests, abilities. However, the book does not come off as preachy. It is witty and cleverly written. And the cliff handing ending will leave you wanting more. Fortunately the sequel, Kiss of Life, will be available May 12th.

Handcuffs

Sixteen-year-old Parker Prescott is the middle child to the perfect older sister and the hyperactive younger bother. She’s quiet, invisible, and would be happy to keep it that way, especially at school.

Dubbed the Ice Princess, according to comments on Marion Henessy’s popular blog, Parker is seen as cold and aloof. Of course the advantage of being the Ice Princess is that you can keep your cool in the face of adversity. The disadvantage? Someone’s bound to want to thaw you for sport. She becomes the target of cruel pranks. Naturally, the blog reports the outcome, including a racy photo of her in a hot tub in a comprising position.

Parker’s world crumbles around her. Her father was laid off and money becomes tight. In order to save her family, she resorts to blackmailing her sister’s ex-stalker.

And then there’s Parker’s boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend.

He’s the hottest guy in school and every girl lusts over him. But he wants more from Parker than she’s willing to give. She dumps him then realizes it was a mistake. She can’t get him out her mind. And then he comes over with handcuffs. Her parents aren’t home. At least they weren’t supposed to be home….

As she struggles to deal with her problems, Parker makes wrong choices and is forced to face the consequences. Her eyes finally open to the truths surrounding her: her sister’s imperfect life, her ex-boyfriend’s true feelings for her, the truth about the ex-stalker. And in the process, she discovers who the real Parker is.

Told in the first person point of view, Handcuffs, by Bethany Griffin, is an incredible book that is extremely tough to put down. It’s a sexy read, but definitely not a mindless one.

My prediction? It’s bound to be a bestseller. Of course, with a title like that, who wouldn’t be intrigued to take a peek? And once you begin reading, you’ll be hooked.

Midnight Pearls

Once upon a time, in a kingdom deep beneath the sea, lived a beautiful mermaid full of love and grace. She possessed a singing voice that would leave you speechless, or so I’ve been told. But our fair mermaid made one fatal mistake. She fell in love with a human prince. In her quest to be human, she sold her voice to the sea witch who gave her three days to win the love of the prince or else she would die. In the original Hans Christian Anderson story, the mermaid dies, and I’m weeping when I read the final lines. In Disney’s version, the ending is much happier. The only one who dies is the evil sea hag. But what about in Midnight Pearls, the retelling of the tale by Debbie Viguié, is there a happily ever after for that young mermaid?

Now this is where things get tricky. This story is so cleverly written that nothing is what it might seem. It is told from the point of view of several characters which increases the suspense. The main protagonist is Pearl. As a young child of four, she was found in the sea during a vicious storm. The fisherman, who rescued her, and his wife raise her as their own daughter. Pearl grows to become a young woman in a time when you married at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Everyone shuns her except for one: Prince James. But their friendship is not allowed, as she is a mere commoner, so they meet in secrecy.

Pearl knows she’s different, but doesn’t know why. As a conspiracy against the royal family and an evil enchantment from beneath the sea merges, she is forced to question everything she knows and everything she believes in. And to save the one she loves, she must make a difficult decision that could ultimately tear the two friends apart.

Midnight Pearls is one of the growing number of retold fairytales found in the Once Upon A Time series by Simon Pulse. Each one is a twist on a beloved story told with more suspense and conflict then the original version. The voice is compelling as are the characters. The female protagonists embrace strong virtues important for today’s teen. And I’m proud to admit that books are addictive. I already own several and am eyeing several more. Hint. Hint. You can expect to see me review another one soon.

Beauty Sleep

A once upon a time
A curse
A prick of the finger
A sleeping beauty
A handsome prince
A kiss
A happily ever after…The End

Now that’s how the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty goes. But not so for Cameron Dokey’s retelling of my favorite fairytale—not to mention my favorite Disney movie. I mean, how could you not have a crush on Prince Philip? Okay, he’s not Edward Cullen, but still.

Anyhow, Beauty Sleep starts out the same. You know. Wicked fairy (or cousin Jane in this tale) feels slighted when she fails to receive an invitation to the royal christening of baby Aurore in some kingdom that none of our major airlines fly to. Oops! Now don’t you hate it when that happens? I was referring to the invitation part. Well, you know what happens next. Blab blab blab blab.

Flash forward almost sixteen years later. Princess Aurore, who never really fit in at court—in other words, she isn’t part of the in crowd—does what no one else can be bothered to do, other than her father the king. She spents time doing manual labor with the common people while getting to know them better. Well, who needs to be popular with the in crowd anyway? Okay, the down side? That crowd tends to stab you in the back, as Aurore eventually learns.

On her sixteenth birthday, Aurore discovers that not only will the impending curse cause her misfortune—which was, of course, downgraded so that she’s supposed to, instead, end up working on her beauty sleep for one hundred years—but it will also inflict harm to the entire kingdom. Being the generous and kindhearted princess that she is, she escapes to la forêt—the enchanted forest—to seek an end to the curse.

Now where’s the hot looking prince, you may ask? Well, it turns out Prince Ironheart—who’s really just a regular looking teen—has a mission of his own. He bumps into Aurore in the forest. She agrees to help him find the sleeping princess who he is supposed to kiss and awaken from a curse. Naturally, this is all very confusing to Aurore since she’s supposed to be that princess, but she’s very much awake.

I’m not going to tell you what happens because then you won’t buy the book. And then the good people at Simon Pulse, who edit the Once upon a Time series, might come after me with a curse of their own. And well, I don’t exactly have the time to go on a quest to end the evil magic—unlike in fairytales where heroines seem to have all the time in the world.

But I will tell you that the book—as are the others in the series—is well worth the read. It is written in the first person point of view, and Princess Aurore is a delightfully witty character you can’t help but to root for. There are many twists and turns that will leave you unable to put the book down, and many surprises that you won’t find in the original tale.

Now I’m off to buy another book from the series. Maybe the retelling of The Little Mermaid. Oh, I do hope she doesn’t die in that version. I do so hate it when that happens…

Gone at Fifteen

Ah, my dream scenario. I’m sitting in my grade twelve history class, listening to my teacher drone on about who knows what, and suddenly he vanishes. Poof. Gone. Oh, wait. Since I skipped most of my grade twelve history course—hence why I had to repeat it (hint, hint)—this might not have been such a big deal. But this is exactly how the teen Sci-fi novel, Gone, by Michael Grant begins.

One minute the citizens of Perdido Beach, California are immersed in their normal day-to-day existence; the next minute everyone fifteen years and older vanishes, leaving chaos in their wake. Stoves are left on. Cars are still running. Babies and young children are abandoned. And almost everyone turns to Sam Temple for leadership, a role the fourteen-year-old doesn’t want.

But Sam’s problems escalate when Caine Soren—a charismatic student from Coate’s Academy, a school for troubled youth—rallies together the town bullies. This begins the typical battle between good and bad.

As Sam and his friends struggle to survive in an isolated world without adults, they desperately search for answers to their bewildering questions: What caused the sleepy town of Perdido Beach to become the FAYZ—Fallout Alley Youth Zone? What happens when you fade away the minute you turn fifteen—is it a good or a bad thing? And, can they prevent it from happening if they so choose?

This gripping novel surges with twists and turns—and a little romance—that hook you from page one. Although the story flows from numerous points of view, Sam clearly remains the main character. And it becomes obvious from the beginning he harbors a secret that is vital to their survival. The truth also raises new questions. Naturally, you crave to keep reading to discover the answers.

Because you journey inside the head of a number of characters, you learn what motivates them to behave as they do. The multiple points of view also help prevent holes in the plot. The story would have been sadly lacking—and a lot shorter—if it had only been told from Sam’s point of view. The other advantage is that the characters all seem real. Any one of them could easily be someone you know. Well, almost someone you know. You’ll have to read the book to figure out what I mean.

I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of Sci-fi—though I loved Stephenie Meyer’s The Host—but I thoroughly enjoyed Michael Grant’s Gone, and can’t wait for the sequel. I only hope I don’t have to wait too long, especially since the series is supposed to contain six books (groan!).