Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, the youngest of three highly intelligent children, is barely older than a toddler when he is sent to a special training ground for the International Fleet's future soldiers, known as Battle School. For in this futuristic world, the people of the Earth are at odds with an alien race known as the buggers. Ender has been selected as a possible commander in the war against these aliens. Everyday, he and his classmates learn skills that will help them in combat such as how to maneuver in zero-gravity and play "games" that are designed to help them think strategically in a fight. But although he must work together with the other children in order to succeed, Ender finds himself being purposefully isolated by the directors of the Battle School. Eventually Ender realizes that though the buggers must be defeated, he has another battle to fight. A battle against the adults that train kids to fight like soldiers. So he begins to commit small acts of rebellion, using his incredibly mature brain to develop ways of beating systems that weren't designed to be beaten. Far from angering the Battle School directors though, it instead gives them all the more reason to advance Ender early, sending him to Command School several years ahead of schedule. Now Ender is faced with decisions that may affect the entire human population and change the course of history. It's no longer a game.

Rating: 
This book was pretty AMAZING! There was none of that romance-type stuff you generally find in teen fantasy/sci-fi novels which was refreshing. The world that the author created was incredibly believable and rich in detail. All of the characters were awesome but my absolute favorite was Bean. The ending was also completely unexpected; after I finished the book, I just sat there for a couple minutes, just completely in shock. (Don't worry, it was the good kind of shock.)

Overall: This book is a must-read!! I also believe that there are some sequels...

Skinned

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Lia Kahn has just died in a car accident. She is alive though. But she is no longer Lia Kahn. She has been skinned. Welcome to the world of the future, where people who die can be "downloaded' into new bodies and become immortal. Lia, an car accident victim, has become a recipient of this new technology. But everything has it's drawbacks. She must relearn how to speak, how to walk, and she must learn how to survive in a world that is against her new "race", the mechs. For Lia is no longer the popular girl living an idyllic life of ease, and her problems do not end there. Skinned is a stunning tale about rebirth and self-discovery that tests the very limits of human nature.

Rating: 
This book was great in terms of description and world-creation but what really brought it down was the characters. I just don't feel as if they were believable; it was almost as if they were mediocre actors who didn't know much about the people they were supposed to be imitating. Also, the plot was sometimes a bit difficult to follow (although maybe that is because I read the second book before reading this one... oops) owing largely to the made-up terms that were used liberally throughout the book.

Overall: Eh... The book is decent but you may find yourself getting bored or exasperated at times.

The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan
Imagine you have less than six days to save the world, rescue your half-brother, and retrieve a long-lost artifact. Fortunately, you have six other demigods on your team, ready to battle the forces of evil and to survive, or die with you. This is the situation Annabeth and the rest of the Argo II crew find themselves in. Riordan again weaves a masterful story filled with suspense, adventure and supernatural enemies. The demigods from two sides, Camp Half-Blood and the Roman camp must learn how to work together, despite starting off on the wrong foot due to Gaea's trickery. While the Romans and Greeks are preparing to battle, the seven must work together, journeying through the most dangerous waters in demigod history, battling ever more deadly monsters. They manage to combine forces despite their different aspirations and abilities, yet there is always catch. Will the demigods be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save their friends?

Rating: 
You can never really go wrong with Rick Riordan but I felt as if this book was missing just that little something, something that would make it exceptional rather than merely great. I believe that this is largely due to how all of the Percy Jackson books are remarkably similar and sometimes, the same thing gets stale after a while. Also, the humor was mostly intended for younger audiences.

Overall: I would recommend it but a bit less enthusiastically...

Virals

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Fourteen-year old Tori Brennan is the unofficial leader of a band of sci-philes who spend their time exploring a secluded island off of the coast of South Carolina.  They enjoy digging up bones, wading through marshes, and attempting to communicate with animals in their spare time.  When they are accidentally exposed to an experimental strain of parvovirus while rescuing a wolfdog from a top-secret lab, their lives change forever.  Now they have become Virals, with super-charged senses and inhuman physical abilities.  As they begin to discover their powers, they stumble upon a cold-case murder mystery that has suddenly become very hot.  Their new enemies are deadly but the band is now more then friends, they are a pack, they are Virals.

Rating: 
This book had mostly everything: action, suspense, murder, emotion, romance (well, maybe not so much of the last one). I believe though, that the characters were just a bit too "supernatural" and not just because they got wolf-powers. Tory, for example, can solve a cold-case murder in a couple days; keep in mind that this murder has baffled police and investigators for years. And she's never had any training except for "advice from her Aunt Tempe".

Overall: This book kept me past midnight as I needed to find out how it ended. It's kind of one of those books where the first time you read it, it's amazing and suspenseful and everything, but then, if you go back and reread, you begin to realize that it really is kind of unbelievable. 

Legend

Legend by Marie Lu
Day is a fifteen-year-old criminal wanted for charges of assault, theft, and hindering the war effort but he is not as malevolent as the Republic makes him seem.  June, also fifteen, is a a prodigy, the youngest student at the country's top university and is being trained for the military.  When June's brother Metias is murdered, Day becomes the prime suspect and June is out to get him.  In the vicious game of cat and mouse that follows, both Day and June discover that they are mere pawns of the government and with that, they realize the lengths their government will go to in order to protect it's secrets.

Rating: 
I don't know why I feel so prejudiced against this book. No idea. Everyone else loves it. I just feel as if there were too many inconsistencies. June and Day are both incredible geniuses but it takes them weeks to realize that they are supposed to be enemies. June's life is just too perfect; she is just too perfect and yet, at the same time, she is pretty stupid. Day has a really annoying way of talking and although he's apparently super awesome, he never really seems to do anything but sit around. Tess was brilliant though.

Overall: I know all the complaints above sound incredibly petty but I just didn't really enjoy reading this book. The first time was okay, the second time, not so much...

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Seventeen-year old Ismae is a girl born with a curse.  She has been married off to a man who is now threatening to kill her.  Ismae manages to escape his brutality with the help of a local priest.  She is brought to the convent of St. Mortain where girls like her are trained in the arts of killing.  At the convent, she finds that Mortain himself has blessed her with powerful and dangerous gifts.  She trains along her fellow sisters, forming relationships and finally fitting in for the first time in her life.  Before long, she is sent on her first, and then second, mission.  On both, she performs admirably well, quickly and with the quiet, deadly force of a viper.  Now she must prove herself on her most challenging mission yet.  She is sent to the royal palace where she must deduce who is traitorous and who must be killed.  Yet, although she has been trained to avoid it, she becomes ensnared in the tangles of seduction and succumbs to the sting of betrayal.  For how can deliver vengeance on a man who has stolen her heart?

Rating: 
SO GOOD!! Ismae was so awesome and the story wasn't cliche at all. Even the romance part was completely original.

Matched

Matched by Allie Condie
Matched is about a girl named Cassia who lives in a futuristic society.  This society controls everything it's people do and for all of her life, Cassia has accepted that.  Then, she is Matched (married in a sort of way) with her lifelong friend Xander but for some reason, an unusual new boy named Ky gets tangled in their relationship.  Cassia discovers many things that she has never realized about her seemingly perfect society and now she has to make decisions that will change her life forever.
Also, if you have read this book already, look out for Crossed (already came out) and Reached (coming out soon).

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent is about a girl named Beatrice who lives in a futuristic Chicago.  There, the city is divided into five factions: Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, Amity, and Dauntless.  When teens become of age, they must chose which faction they devote the entire rest of their lives to.  Beatrice ends up making a decision that surprises everyone, including herself.  In the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice, now newly named Tris, struggles with harsh training, brutality from the other initiates, and a possible relationship with one of her instructors.  During this time, she becomes transformed into someone that she never thought she could be and she realizes that in order to save herself, she must become someone that she is not.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society is about a group of kids; Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance, who pass a series of tests in order to gain "special opportunities".  They meet a man named Mr. Benedict who informs them that there is a device, owned by a villain named Mr. Curtain, that is wreaking havoc on Stonetown, the town in which they live.  They must infiltrate the his school; the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, and find a way to destroy the device.  Along the way, they solve puzzles, crack codes, and discover hidden talents.  This is an excellent read for any one who enjoys brain teasers, secret codes, and learning new unusual things.

Lost Voices

Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
Lost Voices is about a girl named Luce who gives up her humanity in the darkest moments of her life.  She becomes a mermaid and is welcomed into a tribe of beautiful mermaids like her.  Her new life seems perfect until she finds out the catch to being a mermaid: the mermaids feel an irresistible urge to drown humans with their lovely voices.  Luce puts up with the drowning of the humans until a devious new mermaid arrives and challenges the queen of the tribe, Catarina.  Luce must decide between committing mass murder of humans or losing the only friends she has ever had.

Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
Carpe Diem (Latin for "Live in the Moment") is about an overachieving girl who suddenly finds out that her enigmatic grandma is taking (actually, forcing) her on a trip to southeast Asia.  This girl, Vassar always has a plan and in fact, has already planned out her entire life from high school to her career.  So she is horrified when she finds out that her grandma has absolutely no plan whatsoever for touring southeast Asia.  Vassar journeys across several countries with her grandma who gives her advice that goes against what she believes in.  But in the end, Vassar realizes what she has been missing for so long and discovers her true self.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
13 Little Blue Envelopes is about a girl named Ginny who receives a mysterious package from her aunt, her dead aunt.  Inside the package are 13 little blue envelopes and instructions that tell her to NOT open the envelopes, to use the money provided in the package to purchase a plane ticket to London and to follow the rest of the instructions when she's there.  Ginny, since she loved and trusted her aunt, decides to do what the letter says and before long, she is on her way to Europe.  Her aunt's letters lead her in a crazy trail across Europe involving art galleries, stroopwaffle (a type of pastry), biking, a cafe with pictures of dogs painted on the walls, and of course, the mystery surrounding the 13 little blue envelopes.

Maximum Ride

Maximum Ride by James Patterson
One of the best teen books ever written!  Maximum Ride is about a group of six "birdkids", who are ordinary except for the fact that they have a dash of avian gene mixed into their genetic code.  In other words, they have wings, can fly, and have many other superhuman abilities that birds possess.  The six of them, Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman (the name explains it all), Nudge, and Angel, have to save the world (literally) and themselves at the same time.  They are being hunted by various groups of mad scientists (throughout the series) who send a plethora of genetically modified enemies at them.  And because a book wouldn't be complete without these extras, there's also lots of humor, sarcasm, wit, and of course, a semi-romantic relationship (which grows deeper as the series continues).

The Emerald Atlas

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
The Emerald Atlas is about three children, Kate, Michael, and Emma, who were "orphaned" when they were very young.  They refuse to believe that they are orphans though and hold on to the hope that their parents are still alive and are coming back for them.  When they are transferred to a curious new orphanage, they discover this magical book which allows them to travel back in time using pictures.  They discover dozens of magical creatures that exist in a different reality and attempt to change history in order to save the world and to make things right.  Follow their expedition through an enchanted world of magic and monsters.

Cinder

Cinder by Melissa Meyer
Cinder is about a futuristic world where a plague is rapidly consuming the population.  Cinder lives with her evil stepmom and is a cyborg, part machine, part human.  Her younger stepsister catches the plague and is sent of to the quarantines from which people never return.  Cinder's stepmom volunteers her for plague vaccine testing and Cinder finds out that who she has believed herself to be may not be true.
This is a great story for fans of fantasy/sci-fi; it's a very interesting remake of the traditional Cinderella story.

Uglies

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Uglies takes place in a time far into the future when the world as we know it has been destroyed by an oil bug and rebuilt into a seemingly perfect utopia.  Everyone at the age of sixteen is subject to the Operation which makes you pretty.  Tally Youngblood has been dreaming about her operation for her entire life until her new best friend Shay disappears into the wild and Tally is sent to go find her.  There she discovers an entire community of Smokies, people who have run away to the wild and finds out the shocking secret behind the operation.

Delirium

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium is about a futuristic world not too far from ours where love is considered a disease.  When you turn eighteen, you undergo an operation that cures you of love.  Lena is receiving her operation soon and she can't wait to be cured.  Then, she falls in love...

Hunger Games

The books, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay star a female heroine, Katniss, who is volunteers in her sister, Prim's place to enter a fight-to-the death "game".  Katniss leaves the only world she's ever known, District 12, and is sent to the Capitol along with fellow male tribute Peeta Mellark.  In the games she establishes a romantic relationship with him, but for her it's solely for survival whereas for him, it may be a different story.  Follow Katniss as she fights her way through the arena and tries to save both of them.