|
 Steelheart
by Brandon Sanderson, c2013
David is focused to the point of desperation. Focused on revenge…
It’s been ten years since Calamity came and endowed certain people with
life-changing powers. These “super humans” are called Epics, but their power
has corrupted them and they’ve taken over the world. The Reckoners are a
group of undercover assassins, collecting information to try and find each
Epic’s weakness and then taking them down. David’s father was killed an Epic
with a fearsome reputation and no known weakness, but David knows he can
bleed. And if he can bleed, he’s not immortal. And if he’s mortal, David
will track him down and with or without the help of the Reckoners---he will
kill him.
This book is like an action film in book form, complete with wonderfully
developed characters and thought-provoking themes. David is a likeable
character that you alternately want to hug or shake. The twists and turns
will keep readers turning pages compulsively and have them begging for the
rest of the trilogy. Will David find Steelheart’s weakness? Will he be able
to destroy Steelheart? And if he does, will he find peace? Guys and girls
alike, grades 7 and up, will love this action-packed novel.
Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys, c2011
Readers that enjoy historical fiction, especially set during the time period
of World War II, will be drawn into this heart-breaking novel based on the
true story of the author’s relatives.
Lina is a fifteen year old girl living in Lithuania whose life is about to
be changed forever. Soviet police break into her home and drag her, her
mother and her younger brother to a filthy train with other “criminals”
destined for frigid Siberia. Under Stalin’s orders they are detained at a
work camp digging for beets and trying to eke out an existence in the direst
of conditions.
Lina stays sane with a plan to use her talent for art to create visual clues
that will hopefully make their way to the prison camp where her father is
held. She is desperate to give him some way to find them when the war is
over. In a place and at a time where every freedom has been taken away, this
act of defiance helps her hold on to hope for a future.
This harrowing chapter in world history is told in gritty detail and is an
inspiring tale of love and courage. Lina’s story and that of her mother and
brother will stay with readers long after they turn the last page. It’s a
great pick for grades 7 and up.
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Legend
by Marie Lu, c2011
Lovers of the Hunger Games and Divergent series will salivate over
the Legend trilogy. Day is fifteen and already the Republic’s most
wanted criminal and the prime suspect for a high profile murder.
June is the Republic’s top military prodigy whose loyalty will be
tested when she finds out the truth of her brother’s death. They
have nothing, and yet everything in common. What will happen when
they come together? The Republic will never be the same…
This is a story of secrets and the corrupting influence of absolute
power, but it is also the story of a boy and a girl and the lengths
they will go to find the truth, no matter the cost. Told from June
and Day’s viewpoints, readers get an intimate glimpse of each
character. Filled with action and romance, Legend is a top choice
for guys and girls alike, grades 7 and up.
Rot & Ruin
by Jonathan Maberry, c2010
I am not into zombies---movies or books, and I was reluctant to pick
up this title, but I had teens that were rabid to read it, so I had
to give it a try. The setting is America, after the zombie plague
has spread far and wide. Benny Imura is fifteen and needs to get a
job before his rations are cut, so when all else fails he ends up
apprenticing to his older brother Tom, a zombie hunter, or as Tom
likes to call himself a “closure specialist”. Benny figures only Tom
could make killing zombies boring. But Benny is about to learn some
important lessons---about who his brother really is, what it means
to truly be human and that the real monsters aren’t always who you
think they are.
There is plenty of action and violence in this story (although not
gratuitous, considering the subject matter), but ultimately it is
about the characters, their relationships, and the ultimate meaning
of courage---and love. It’s a super-fast read and the beginning of a
series, ideal for reluctant readers, especially guys, grades 9 and
up.
To check out these books, please come see us at the Lincoln Public
Library, 725 Pekin Street.
[By
MELISSA OXBORROW,
Lincoln Public Library District] |
