The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

The Age of Miracles begins with a momentous discovery - the rotation of the Earth has begun to slow. No one knows why, if it will continue or even how to adapt. Though one thing is for sure: life as we know it has changed forever.

Against this backdrop, our narrator, 11-year-old Julia has embarked on her own life-changing journey - adolescence. Julia, her family, the world around her attempt to carry on as usual at first, but drastic adaptations must be made. How these changes affect Julia, the people around her and the experience of growing up is a central theme in this novel. However, it is not just a novel of the end of the world or of civilization. In fact, it is more about how life continues on, more or less unchanged, in the face of drastic global change.

The titular "age of miracles" refers not to the the crisis the world is enduring, but the upheaval of adolescence. As the rest of the planet discovers that life as they knew it has changed forever, so does Julia, as her own personality, identity and family go through momentous changes. While some are directly brought about - or at least prompted by - the slowing, many are part of the inevitable passage from childhood into adulthood.

The first few chapters are heavy with profound and meaningful statements, which are, I suppose, necessary to communicate the depth of what is happening, it tends to get a bit heavy-handed. Fortunately, as the story progresses, this tendency towards the over-dramatic lessens (although, it could be argued that adolescence itself is by definition over-dramatic and filled with intense meaning.)

You know that Julia survives at least the first years of the slowing, since much of the the narrative is in the past-tense. So it's not really about survival - as in books like Life As We Knew It - but life going on against the backdrop of a world catastrophe. In many ways, the books is a hopeful one, in that even the slowing of the Earth itself cannot stop the awful awkwardness and trials of puberty.

I might have enjoyed more about the science surrounding the slowing and its effects, and more about what was going on in the wider world. But, that isn't really what the book is about. It's about middle school and adolescence, and in those respects, the author is incredibly accurate. Some of the situations and feelings Julia describes are so true, so familiar, that they made my toes curl (wasn't middle school just so, so awful?)

I was surprised to find this book in the adult collection, as the story and style would be highly appealing to young adult readers, too. It stands well on its own, but a sequel, perhaps from other points of view from different places around the world, would be well-received. The book has both a website and a trailer (below).



Happy reading!

~ Allison, Adult Services

Eden by Keary Taylor

I picked up Eden by Keary Taylor because of the excellent cover art, and, of course, because it's young adult dystopia, a genre I am unapologetically addicted to. The plot is intriguing, though probably familiar to fans of the genre. Set in the near future, a young woman named Eve with no memory of her past defends a small band of survivors from hoards of cybernetic zombies. The Fall, as it is called in the novel, began as a well-intended (aren't they always?) experiment in nanotechnology that soon went terribly wrong. The "infection" is spread by a mere touch, and the Fallen hunt what few remnants of human civilization remain. Thrown into the mix is a love triangle, a mysterious newcomer, Eve's slow but inevitable discovery of where she came from and the omnipresent threat of the Fallen.

The action begins quickly and is told in the first person, from Eve's point of view. As such, the chapters are interspersed with sections of Eve's own thoughts and feelings, which, after a while, begin to wear thin. Too much time is spent listening to Eve repeat again and again how conflicted her feelings are for her two love interests. These sections are a bit too overwrought - although, considering that Eve is a teenager, perhaps it is appropriate. 

I give Taylor credit for not taking the easy way out when the time comes for Eve to finally decide which boy to choose. I had feared that the story was about to go that way at one point, but thankfully, Eve actually makes a choice, unlike in some other YA dystopias in which one love interest conveniently dies, disappears, leaves or is made otherwise unavailable (such as in the final installment of The Hunger Games series, Mockingjay.)

The world-building in this novel is very good, with some room to kvetch. Without revealing any spoilers, one of the major conflicts is resolved a bit too simply for my taste, almost as an afterthought. Perhaps that's because my personal preference is for action, and not romance, but I would have liked to see the action fleshed out a bit more and the relational drama tightened up.

Eden would have been even better if Taylor had hired a good proofreader and editor (Eden and her other novels are self-published). The text has about 15-20 typos - mostly misspellings and missing punctuation - which took me out of the narrative momentarily. Annoying, but not a deal breaker. That said, I enjoyed the book quite a bit. If you're a forgiving sort of reader and can overlook some errors, give this book a try. I think the author has a great deal of promise and I'll be watching out for her next novels.

~ Allison, Adult Services

More Hunger Games Read Alikes

Today is opening day for the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games, a dystopian trilogy written for teens that has proven equally popular with adults. Fast-paced, action-packed, with a strong and compelling heroin, and just a hint of romance, Ms. Collins has created a real page-turner.

The Hunger Games were already the topic of a read alike post, but with more great Young Adult titles published every month and the excitement surrounding the film, we thought we'd do an update.

You can check out our original Hunger Games read alike post here: carnegiestout.blogspot.com/2011/05/read-alike-hunger-games.html

SH = Strong Heroine
A = Action-Packed
D = Dystopia
2+ = Trilogy/Series
P = Protector
V = Violence
R = Romance

Terrier by Tamora Pierce SH A 3+ P V
Ms. Pierce is well known for writing fantasy novels, often set in the world of Tortall, that always feature a strong heroine. The stories are fast-paced and the settings are full of interesting detail with regional slang and rich history. Start with Terrier, the first of three books featuring the adventures of Beka Cooper, Provost's Guard (a bit like a medieval police officer). Terrier has a suspenseful mystery and some great action scenes.

Legend by Marie Lu SH A D 3+ P V R
Ms. Lu's fast-paced first novel, Legend, is set in a dystopian future where the West and East coasts are at war. June, a military prodigy, is marked for greatness within the Republic. Day comes from the slums and has turned to a life as a Robin Hood-esque criminal. When June is tasked with capturing Day, they both find that their world is not what it seems.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson SH A 3+ V R
Ms. Carson's first novel a compelling and fast-paced story of a young woman marked for a greatness she doesn't feel capable of. Princess Elisa finds comfort in her studies, her faith, and eating, but when she is married to the king of the neighboring land, she can no longer hide from the dangers of her world.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater SH P V R
Ms. Stiefvater has found great popularity with her lyrical novels that mix romance and fantasy. Her characters intelligent and independent. Start with The Scorpio Races, which puts a new spin on the old Celtic myth of the Water Horse, a man-eating horse that comes from the ocean. Thisby is a remote island off the British coast known for the deadly yearly race of the capaill uisce, and Kate "Puck" Connolly will be the first woman to enter the races. The audio book is fantastic.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder SH A D 3+ V R
Ms. Snyder writes suspenseful fantasy novels with strong heroines and dark settings. Start with Poison Study, Yelena is offered a reprieve from her death sentence for murder if she agrees to become the new poison taster for the repressive leader of her country where anyone with magical talent is killed.

Divergent by Veronica Roth SH A D 3+ V R
This debut novel is also the first in a dystopian trilogy aimed at young adults, but that adult readers who loved The Hunger Games may find compelling as well. Though action-packed, the novel asks larger questions about humanity. Future residents of Chicago are required to choose a faction at age 16, will Beatrice stay with her family in the self-sacrificing Abnegation, or leave her family for adventure with Dauntless?

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley SH A 2+ P V R
Ms. McKinley has been writing character-driven fantasy novels and variations on fairy tales for teen and adult readers for decades. Her settings are always highly detailed with great attention to the natural elements. Start with The Blue Sword, Harry is the well-bred daughter of colonialists in a desert country, but when she is kidnapped by the Hillfolk, she discovers unexpected strengths.

Ashes by Ilsa Bick SH A D 2+ P V R
Ms. Bick is both a novelist and a child psychiatrist. Her novels are action-packed and dark. Ashes, is the first of a trilogy set in the near future that puts a new spin on zombies. Alex has an incurable brain tumor, survival skills she learned from her father before his death, and a plan behind her visit to a remote park in the U.P. Instead there is an explosion that destroys all modern technology, but Alex can't begin to imagine how much the world has changed.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young SH A D 2+ P V R
An action-packed young adult novel set in a bleak future, where 18-year-old Saba’s parents have died, her beloved twin brother has been kidnapped, and she’s left in the wilderness with her annoying kid sister. Saba sets out across the post-apocalyptic desert in search of her brother, and finds her own strength, in this first of a new trilogy. She narrates the tale in her own Old West-ish dialect.

Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness A D 2+ P V R
The first novel in the dystopian science-fiction series Chaos Walking, The Knife of Never Letting Go. This is a fast-paced tale set in a compelling and richly-developed world, a planet where all the women have been killed and all the men are linked by a mysterious psychic connection. When a young man learns a secret about the colony’s past, he’s forced to flee with the army on his heels.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver SH D 2+ V R
Lauren Oliver's lyrical novels include science fiction elements with their character-driven tragic romances. Her second novel, Delirium, is also the start of a dystopian trilogy set in a future where love (or amor deliria nervosa) is viewed as an illness easily cured with a little brain surgery. But just before Lena is eligible for the cure, she meets a young man who just might be the love of her life.

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve SH A D 2+ V R
Mr. Reeve has written a number of action-packed science-fiction and fantasy novels for teens and younger readers. Packed with steam punk details and creative world building, his series the Hungry City Chronicles has found fans with readers both young and old. Start with Mortal Engines, in a future where cities are mobile and life depends on mechanical cannibalism Tom is unprepared to be thrown from the relative safety of London into the barren wilderness with a mysterious girl on a deadly mission.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!

Thanks go to Amy and her Harry Potter for Adults read alike post!

Read Alike: Hunger Games

www.suzannecollinsbooks.com

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the first entry into her futuristic, fast paced, science-fiction young adult series that includes Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games and the rest of the trilogy, you may also enjoy one of the following young adult action/adventure stories:

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

Feed by M. T. Anderson
In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.

The Roar by Emma Clayton
In an overpopulated world where all signs of nature have been obliterated and a wall has been erected to keep out plague-ridden animals, twelve-year-old Mika refuses to believe that his twin sister was killed after being abducted, and continues to search for her in spite of the dangers he faces in doing so.

The Wind Singer by William Nicholson
After Kestrel Hath rebels against the stifling rules of Amaranth society and is forced to flee, she, along with her twin brother and a tag-along classmate, follow an ancient map in quest of the legendary silver voice of the wind singer, in an attempt to heal Amaranth and its people.

Candor by Pam Bachorz

For a fee, "model teen" Oscar Banks has been secretly--and selectively-- sabotaging the subliminal messages that program the behavior of the residents of Candor, Florida, until his attraction to a rebellious new girl threatens to expose his subterfuge.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

After sixteen-year-old Astrid Llewelyn survives a vicious unicorn attack, she learns that she is a descendant of the most famous unicorn hunter of all time and she must travel to Rome, Italy, to train in the ancient arts in order to carry on her family legacy and save the world from the threat posed by the reemergence of lethal unicorns.

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

After a meteor hits the moon and sets off a series of horrific climate changes, seventeen-year-old Alex Morales must take care of his sisters alone in the chaos of New York City.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered

Gone by Michael Grant

In a small town on the coast of California, everyone over the age of fourteen suddenly disappears, setting up a battle between the remaining town residents and the students from a local private school, as well as those who have

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!