Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Adult Fiction

Darrow is a miner beneath the surface of Mars. He and his fellow Reds spend their lives underground in a dangerous, unforgiving world so future generations will be able to successfully and safely inhabit the surface of the planet. The Reds are the lowest in the castes of colors. From Red to Gold, slave to ruler, each color serves its purpose.

Darrow is content with his role. He understands that his sweat and blood, his obedience and incredible skill as a Helldiver are necessary to supply the surface with the miraculous terraforming helium-3. He must suffer so others will thrive.

This contentment begins to unravel when Darrow’s mining crew—his family—fairly and rightfully mines more helium-3 than any other. As a reward, the Lambda clan should receive the Laurel—the increased rations and luxuries usually won by the Gamma clan. When the Gammas receive the Laurel despite having been beaten, Darrow’s faith and his obedience are shaken.

Then a tumbling of heartbreaking events lands Darrow on the surface of Mars as part of the Sons of Ares, a terrorist organization that reveals the truth: Mars has been habitable for generations. Huge cities thrive on its surface. Luxuries and amenities abound for people of every color caste except the Reds who are kept both literally and figuratively in the dark.

Now Darrow must decide how far he’s willing to go to bring justice to his people. The first step is to infiltrate the Golds—the ruling caste—by becoming one of their most elite. No matter how brutal that process may be.

“Red Rising” is incredibly good. From the first lines: “I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war” I knew I was hooked. By page 50, tears streaming down my face, I knew this was one of Those Books. The kind of book that, when read at the right time, has the power to impact readers like no other book can.

Darrow starts out as a wide-eyed teenaged boy who is smart enough to know that his society’s caste system is rigged against him, but is naïve enough to believe that it’s serving a greater good. As events unfold, Darrow transforms into an angry and determined man who has but a single focus—vengeance.

Darrow narrates his story, so not surprisingly, he is the most developed character, but his narration gives life to the characters around him and makes his world feel real. The pacing is just about perfect. Slow where it needs to be and break-neck to keep the pages flying. The connections between the characters aren’t as palpable as I would have liked, but they’re still fairly solid. With just a touch of romance, Brown keeps things spicy without making it trite or gratuitous.

When you read the cover of “Red Rising,” you’ll see all the comparisons to other, super popular books that “Red Rising” is garnering. They’re accurate comparisons, but “Red Rising” doesn’t really need them beyond the first few chapters. It competently stands on its own in the Science Fiction and Dystopian genres and should, by all means, be read by fans of “Hunger Games,” “Ender’s Game” and the like. Just know that you’re getting something different and new with this one too.

Note of warning: this is the first book in a series. Book 2 is not out yet and “Red Rising” ends with quite the cliffhanger.

The United States of Asgard Series by Tessa Gratton

In “The Lost Sun,” the first book of “The United States of Asgard” by Tessa Gratton, Soren Bearskin is a berserker. He has an innate internal fire, a battle rage that he constantly tries to squelch with self-discipline, exercise, and meditation.

He is so afraid of this fire and his family’s past that he has made himself an outcast with almost all his classmates at Sanctus Sigurd’s Academy.

Then one day, the famous Astrid Glyn comes to school. Astrid is a beautiful and mysterious seethkona — a prophetess — who dreams of Soren. Much to his dismay, Soren and Astrid are drawn together by these dreams and by forces beyond their control.

When Baldur the Beautiful, god of the sun, goes missing, the connection between Soren and Astrid becomes all the more apparent.

Soren and Astrid begin a journey to save their god, confront their pasts and face their future.

In book two, “The Strange Maid,” Signy Valborn, like Soren, has an internal fire born out of her family’s past.

Unlike Soren, Signy embraces her inner chaos and for doing so, is chosen by Odin Alfather to become his next Valkyrie.

Before she can be accepted in this role, however, she must solve a riddle written on the New World Tree. Signy doesn’t feel that she can solve the riddle within the confines of her Valkyrie training, so she leaves to search for answers on her own.

After years of living on the streets and not solving her riddle, Ned Unferth, a mysterious poet who only speaks the truth, appears and offers a glimmer of hope: trolls.

 

Together, Signy and Ned travel North to Canadia to study, track and kill a greater mountain troll as the solution to Signy’s riddle and her ticket into the Valkyrie sisterhood.

If only things were so simple.

Taking place before, during and after the events of “The Lost Sun,” “The Strange Maid” is both a companion and a sequel to “The Lost Sun.” Both books are narrated in first person (by Soren and Signy, respectively) and offer rich and compelling stories. Gratton has seamlessly woven traditional Norse gods and legends with modern life and technology, making her world simultaneously familiar and mysteriously “other.”

My love for this series and the world Gratton creates became easier to quantify when I realized Gratton has firmly positioned herself as an excellent transition from Rick Riordan to Neil Gaiman.

“The United States of Asgard” series has all the action and intrigue (not to mention godly influences) of a Percy Jackson novel but with intricacy and literary quality closer to Gaiman’s works — of course, “American Gods” comes to mind.

With older teen characters doing older teen things, these are books for high-school students and adults.

 

Family Friendly Audiobooks for Summer Road Trips

Summer months bring on summer travels for many families. Audiobooks are an excellent way to keep everyone entertained on a road trip, but finding an audiobook that appeals to all ages and genders is a challenge. Below are some of my favorite “family friendly” audiobooks that will appeal to both girls and boys ranging from elementary school through adulthood (unless otherwise noted). Each audiobook has a superb narrator who is skilled at differentiating character voices. Some so much so that they’re like cartoons for your ears.

“Peter and the Starcatchers”

By Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Narrated by Jim Dale

Found in Juvenile Fiction

Peter finds himself on a ship (the Never Land) with a trunk of mysterious “starstuff” that gives any who touch it strange powers. He also finds himself among those tasked with protecting the starstuff from the likes of the pirate Black Stache.

This is a fun romp for those familiar with the original “Peter Pan,” but with rich characters, humor and adventures galore, it’s also great fun for those who are meeting Peter for the first time. Jim Dale also reads the “Harry Potter” series which is equally not to be missed on audio.

 

“Artemis Fowl”

By Eoin Colfer, Narrated by Nathaniel Parker

Found in Teen Audiobooks

Artemis is a genius working pretty hard on adding “evil” to his genius status. When he discovers fairies are real and they have quite the cash pile, he kidnaps Holly Short (an officer with the LEP Recon) to hold her for ransom. Suddenly, Artemis finds himself facing down the entire fairy world and their extensive arsenal.

This is probably my favorite audio to recommend to new listeners. The characterizations are wonderful, their relationships with each other are complicated and fun, and the action is top notch.

 

“The Graveyard Book”

Written and narrated by Neil Gaiman

Found in Juvenile Fiction

As a toddler, Nobody Owens narrowly escaped a murderer and stumbled into a graveyard. There, after much debate of the graveyard denizens, Nobody was adopted, named, and raised by the various ghosts (and creatures) that inhabit graveyards. “The Graveyard Book,” similar to “The Jungle Book” is an account of the many adventures Nobody has during his life in the graveyard.

Parts of this one may be a bit scary for younger readers, but it is well worth the listen. Neil Gaiman makes a surprisingly good narrator.

 

“Howl’s Moving Castle”

By Diana Wynne Jones, Narrated by Jenny Sterlin

Found in Teen Audiobooks

Being the oldest of three girls, Sophie knows she won’t amount to much and is resigned to spend her life working for her step-mother in the family’s hat shop. Unintentionally, Sophie offends the Witch of the Waste who exacts her revenge by turning Sophie into a 90-year-old woman. Knowing things can’t get much worse, Sophie strikes out on her own and finds herself working as the maid for the greatly feared, but perhaps quite handsome, Wizard Howl.

This is a lovely, whimsical story full of fun characters, intrigue and adventure.

 

“Sabriel”

By Garth Nix, Narrated by Tim Curry

Found in Teen Fiction

Life in Ancelstierre is fairly mundane except when the wind comes from the North across the Wall and from the Old Kingdom. Then all technology fails and often, trouble from dead creatures emerges. Sabriel’s father, the Abhorsen, is tasked with preventing the dead from rising and causing trouble for the living. When Sabriel gets a delivery of her father’s tools as the Abhorsen from a dead creature, she knows he has either been killed or is trapped in Death. Thus she begins her journey with a talking cat named Mogget and a dashing but vulnerable young man who calls himself Touchstone across the magical Old Kingdom to find her father.

With some mild blood, guts, and gore as well as undead creatures determined to take over the world, this title is probably best suited for teens. However, Tim Curry is not to be missed as an audiobook narrator, so the younger set might enjoy his readings of “The Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket.

Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King

Lucky’s life at school is almost unbearable. Not only did he get into see-the-guidance-counselor-regularly kind of trouble for a social studies assignment, he also has to endure Nader McMillan. Nader is your typical bully–he’s big, he’s mean, he’s got a knack for torture, and with his charm and lawyer father he is beyond reproach from any adult in town.

Lucky’s life at home is its own kind of misery. With a father who tries to avoid just about everything to do with home and a mother who would much rather spend her time swimming lap after lap in the pool, Lucky is basically on his own.

His only escape from the brutality of school and the numbness of home are vivid dreams Lucky has of rescuing his grandfather who was taken as a Prisoner of War during Vietnam. Then one day, Nader’s torture goes far enough that Lucky’s mom packs them both up and flies them to Uncle Dave and Aunt Jodi’s house in Arizona (the only relatives with a pool).

While in Arizona, Lucky’s life changes completely. Now he has to be brave enough to let those changes follow him back home.

I read “Everybody Sees the Ants” in exactly one sitting. I laughed. I cried. I devoured this book.

King has written an incredibly important book about what it’s like to be bullied, about what it’s like to have parents who are physically there but not fully present, and about what it’s like when your family history obsessively haunts your present life.

Lucky is a real character filled with the self-doubt and vulnerability but also strength and openness. Even through the filter of his narration Lucky’s peers and the adults in his life are fully and honestly described. The tortures Lucky endures at the hands of Nader and the ineffectual, bumbling “help” he receives from most of the adults in his life are painfully real.

“Everybody Sees the Ants” is one every library should own and all teens and adults should read.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Teen Fiction

Once per century, the Godstone–a living jewel nestled in the navel—is bestowed upon an unsuspecting infant. This bearer is destined for greatness. Destined to perform an act of service that will better mankind, but he/she has no idea what the act will be. Many bearers don’t live long enough to find out.

Elisa is an overweight and overly-sheltered young princess who is also this century’s bearer. She has spent her first sixteen years eschewing courtly duties in order to study and read. She has never been overly concerned with the art of ruling or the engaging in any sort of politics.

Elisa begins to regret this on her sixteenth birthday when she finds herself secretly married to King Alejandro and on her way to his unstable country. Here Elisa must figure out how to navigate Alejandro’s court and how to be a queen even if it is in secret. When Elisa is kidnapped by a group of desert people (one of whom happens to be kind as well as handsome) who believe she and the Godstone are the key to winning the impending war, Elisa must also decide where her loyalties lie.

It has been a very long time since I felt this way about a book and about a character. There are plenty of admirable and strong female protagonists out there but very few start as vulnerable as Elisa. Even though Celaena from “Throne of Glass” is emaciated and weak from the death camp at the beginning of her book, she can still kill someone seven times before they hit the floor. Elisa starts her journey knowing almost nothing about herself and about her destiny.

The honesty with which Elisa narrates is achingly relatable. She readily sees the negatives about herself and only reluctantly acknowledges her strengths. She worries about what others think of her, she doubts her intelligence, and she assumes that she doesn’t have what it takes to be a good queen. Elisa is an Everywoman.

Beyond creating an incredibly identifiable protagonist and fully realized secondary characters (oh, Humberto, how I love you!), Carson weaves one heck of a story here. The culture is rich, the places are beautifully described, and the food sounds delicious.

If you’re traveling over the holidays, I highly recommend “The Girl of Fire and Thorns” on audio. The narrator Jennifer Ikeda’s performance is part of what made me fall in love with the book. She is everything an audiobook narrator should be.

I heartily recommend both “Throne of Glass” and “The Girl of Fire and Thorns” to all fantasy readers–especially readers who liked “Hunger Games,” “Graceling,” and other books with strong, capable (and sometimes deadly) protagonists.

Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas

Teen Fiction

Celaena Sardothien is an assassin. She has been convicted as such and sentenced to a work camp that should mean her death. Instead, she finds a way to live for over a year (a feat previously unheard of in the camp) until one day when she is collected by the Crown Prince Dorian. Dorian gives Celaena an opportunity too enticing to refuse even though might prove just as deadly (though not as miserable) as the work camp.

Celaena has been chosen to compete against thieves, soldiers, criminals, and other assassins to be the King’s Champion. Completing her term as the King’s Champion will eventually secure Celaena’s freedom and clear her name, but first she has to survive the competition.

With the help of Dorian, Choal the Captain of the Guard, and her unexpected friend Princess Nehemia, Celaena is sure to win the competition, but her friends’ help may not be enough to ensure Celaena’s survival against the mysterious evil that is hunting down the competitors one by one.

Maas has written a great book and a great protagonist. Celaena is an assassin, yes, but she’s also super smart and courageous and moral and funny and flawed. I loved the way she toyed with Choal and Dorian (apparently all Teen fantasies have to have a love triangle now), the way she committed to her friendship with Nehemia, and the way she manipulated palace politics when it suited her. Plus, Celaena is a reader. What’s not to love about a fearsome hero who also reads?

How to Fake a Moon Landing by Darryl Cunningham

Teen Nonfiction

How to Fake a Moon Landing looks at the controversies surrounding things like climate change, evolution, fracking, alternative medicines, and the moon landing and applies cold, hard logic and scientific evidence to these controversies. Cunningham takes time to explain each subject, detailing the history behind the subject, the controversy itself and why there shouldn’t really be a controversy. He’s very thorough and makes some really good points.

I found the chapter on homeopathy quite interesting. I had no idea what homeopathy was before reading How to Fake a Moon Landing, so I was fascinated by how it “works” and the pseudo-science behind it. I think it’s especially helpful that Cunningham explains how even though homeopathy’s remedies are ultimately harmless, the denial of science-based medicine in preference of homeopathy is harmful.

All-in-all, How to Fake a Moon Landing is a great book for anyone interested in the full, controversies included picture of the subjects discussed as well as for readers who just want to know what all the hubbub is about. Cunningham’s use of comics and pictures is an inspired choice. This format makes the subjects approachable and the information easier to digest.

Scowler by Daniel Kraus

Teen Fiction

When he was 10 years old, Ry Burke survived a brutal beating and a harrowing, near death experience fleeing from his father through a dense forest.  Ry’s head trauma and terror caused him to believe that three toys, Mr. Furrington, Jesus Christ and Scowler, were alive and talking to him. Mr. Furrington, a small teddy bear, is a playful and affectionate friend; Jesus Christ, a gumby-esque plastic figure, is a wise and kind advisor; Scowler, a “doll” hand made with a metal skeleton, cornmeal stuffing and sea shell teeth, is an aggressive and blood-thirsty fighter. It is their advice that ultimately helps Ry survive the forest.

Now that Ry is 19 and his father is in jail, he’s still on the family’s farm helping his mother where he can. It’s a miserable, boring life for Ry, but he doesn’t know how to change it. Little does Ry know, a meteor is on a collision course with his farm and it brings all the nightmares Ry thought he outgrew.

After reading/listening to Rotters by Daniel Kraus, I started Scowler expecting an intense book. I was not disappointed. In fact, there were several times I had to talk myself down from the “this is too intense for me right now, I should stop reading” ledge.

I am not going to say I enjoyed Scowler, because I don’t think it’s one of those books that you really enjoy. Instead, I think it’s more accurate to say that I experienced Scowler. Kraus has a way of slowing down a scene so that you see it in every single horrifying detail. You know where the scene is going when it starts, but you’re compelled to keep reading the minutia as Kraus lays them before you because you simply are not able to do anything else.

Like Rotters, I both read and listened to Scowler. The narrator, Kirby Heyborne, does everything right which makes the book even more intense. Kraus’s characters are incredibly flawed–with the possible exception of Ry’s younger sister Sarah–and Heyborne’s narration so completely captures the flaws and the perfections of these characters that they become tangible.

I started the process of giving up caffeine while reading Scowler because I felt jittery and anxious much of the day. Now that I finished Scowler and have had a moment to take a full breath, maybe I don’t need to give caffeine up after all.

Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

It’s Maggie’s first day of high school… of public school… of traditional school learning… (Before ninth grade, her mom homeschooled Maggie and her three brothers.)  Her older brothers have been in high school for a while, and now it’s Maggie’s turn. “Friends with Boys” is the story of Maggie adjusting to high school, navigating the complex social arena of public school and making her first non-boy/non-brother friend.

Oh, and Maggie might be haunted by a 19th – century widow. And she and her new friends might rob a museum to try to help the ghost. No big deal.

I knew I would like “Friends with Boys” because I have been religiously following Hick’s “Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong” online (and you should  too at nothingcanpossiblygowrong.com), but I didn’t know I would love it this much!

Hicks’s story and writing are spot on. I remember what it was like being the new girl, and while I wasn’t homeschooled, I was going from an almost rural school to a big-city school with So Many People! My reactions were almost identical to Maggie’s.  Luckily for Maggie, she has the security of three older brothers attending the same school.

The relationships between Maggie and her family members are sweet and genuine. Daniel, the eldest, is really into theater. Lloyd and Zander are twins who constantly fight. Meanwhile, Dad has just been promoted to police chief and Mom… left.

Not only is the story wonderful, the art is great. It’s all black and white and is just amazing.  Hicks perfectly communicates expressions, moods and atmosphere while keeping everything bold and fresh. Together her art and writing are clever and funny and touching and and and…

I just want to hug Maggie and hang out with everyone in the courtyard, okay.

Now, go read it. Tell me how you like it even if you don’t.

Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary by Neil Corry, et al

I bought “Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary” for the Teen Department collection because the Doctor is quickly gaining in popularity among my teens. I have several who completely nerd out any time “Doctor Who” is mentioned. It’s pretty fantastic.

The new series of “Doctor Who” is so popular among the Library’s patrons, in fact, that Monday was the first time I’ve seen the book on my shelves since I first put it on display in February. Before I could check it out for this review, I had to let three teens in my department look through it. (I kept saying, “You can look, but you can’t check it out. It’s mine!”)

This visual dictionary features the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, pretty heavily, but does have some mention of previous Doctors, including the Doctors from the “classic” shows.

While it looks like it’s going to be a quick read (and I’m sure it can be for the non-obsessed) ,  I spent ages reading every word about the Doctor, the TARDIS, the various companions, as well as the myriad of species the Doctor encounters. I learned quite a bit from the entries, but much of my reading time was spent thinking, “OH! I remember that episode!”

“Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary” is a perfect resource for anyone who wants to know what all the hubbub is about but doesn’t want to slog through seven seasons of a (completely wonderful, amazing and engrossing) show, or for established fans who want to pore over as many details from “Doctor Who” as possible.