Friday, January 27, 2012

A SCIFI-MYSTERY

If you're a fan of the TV show Bones and a reader of Young Adult fiction, then you are also interest in Kathy Reichs's book Virals. Kathy Reichs is the author of the books that the TV show is based on and this is her first book for YA. She blends the mystery of a secret laboratory with the science fiction of an unusual strain of a canine virus that affects humans. Throw in some spine-tingling, dangerous adventures and, of course, some bones and you have Virals, the first book in a projected trilogy. Tory Brennan, niece of the female scientist on Bones, lives on a island where her scientist father works. With friends from school she rescues a wolfdog pup from a secret lab unknowingly exposing all of them to the virus. Now they start to have strange ailments and exhibit heighten senses and abilities. When they stumble upon a buried skeleton that strangely disappears, Tory and her friends have to get to the bottom of the mystery. Virals is available on the New Books shelf.

Friday, January 20, 2012

TWINS, MAYBE?

Have you ever felt that you have a twin out there in the world somewhere? That's the way Missy feels in Caroline Cooney's new book Three Black Swans. Her cousin Claire is so like her that they finish each other's sentences and practically read each other minds. Missy decides to create a video showing that Claire is her long-lost identical twin and posts it on You Tube. That posting leads to an unexpected result which completely changes the lives of both girls. Ms. Cooney has once again created an amazing story that feels like the truth or could be in the news headlines. Three Black Swans is on the New Book Shelf and ready for check-out.

Friday, January 13, 2012

A NEW GENRE - STEAMPUNK

Do you know what steampunk literature is? It's just the hottest new genre for young adults. It's a combination of science fiction or fantasy with historical fiction in some kind of alternate reality. Our world, the real world, is recognizable but often goes off in a different direction through the scifi/fantasy elements. On the 2012 Rebecca Caudill nominee list, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld is a perfect example. I recently finished Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare which is another example. In Clockwork Angel Tessa Gray has left the Untied States to come to Victorian London, England to join her brother. She is met at the docks by two sisters who kidnap her and put her through terrible trials to awaken her special power. After she is rescued by Shadowhunters (demon hunters) from these sisters, who are really demons, she is introduced to an underground world full of supernatural creatures - vampires, demons, and more. Her brother has disappeared and the Shadowhunters agree to search for him. Along the way there are bloody battles, charming villains, and romantic relationships - enough to terrify a young girl from America. I found myself so involved in this world that when I heard a book two was published, I immediately bought. Look for the Clockwork Prince to also join our collection in the near future.

Friday, January 6, 2012

WOULD YOU SURVIVE...

...if you found yourself in a strange world with a group of boys, your memory wiped clean, living in a compound where the walls close at night to keep out the Grievers, weird monsters that are trying to kill (and eat) you? That's what happens to Thomas in James Dashner's book The Maze Runner. Thomas, Newt, Minho, Frypan, Chuck, and the other boys are trying to find an escape route through the maze outside the walls, but the paths change every night. Inside the walls, the boys have organized themselves to be self-sufficient with their own farm for growing fruits and vegetables and chickens, pigs, and goats for food. But they all want to leave. The Maze Runner is the first book in a trilogy. I'm currently reading the second book The Scorch Trials, and the series ends with The Death Cure. If you read The Maze Runner, you will want to finish the series and see if Thomas and his friends survive. Hunger Games fans, put this new trilogy on your reading list!