A Great and Terrible Beauty

Bray, L. (2003). A Great and Terrible Beauty. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN: 978-0385732314 

Sixteen-year-old Gemma lives in India during the Victorian era and yearns for a London upbringing. While at a Bombay market with her mother they happen upon a man and his younger brother. The man says something to Gemma's mother who reacts with frightened agitation and forces Gemma to go home. Angry, Gemma runs away, but has a disturbing vision of her mother's death by suicide, which turns out to be true; soon after Gemma attends Spence Academy near London. 

After a period of being ostracized by her peers Gemma befriends Felicity the most popular girl at school after witnessing an event that could ruin Felicity's life and keeping it a secret. Grappling with constant visions Gemma soon meets with Kartik who insists she block out the visions.

One night Gemma's vision leads her to a diary by Mary Dowd. Gemma, Felicity, Pippa, and Ann learn about a secret group that is called the Order from Mary's diary. The Order was a group of women who could cross over from the human world to other realms and they each possessed powers. The four friends decide to make a new Order and unlock the door to the other realms. The mysteries of the Order unfold and Gemma and company find themselves ensnared in an uncontrollable force.

A Great and Terrible Beauty is one part historical novel and one part Gothic novel. Set in the Victorian era this novel creatively and historically expresses the time period and women's roles therein. Gemma displays flaws that society has put upon her, but she learns to unhinge herself from the conformities of her time. 

Rich and dark this exciting and thrilling novel is the perfect set up to some heavier Victorian reads like Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Book trailer made by ME!

Cover art link: shelfari

Girls image link: steamthing 

Victorian girl image link: getty
Book trailer link: youtube
 

Uglies

wellreadreviews

Westerfeld, S. (2005). Uglies. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

ISBN: 978-0689865381

Tally Youngblood cannot wait for her sixteenth birthday, so she can become a “pretty” and live in New Pretty Town While frustratingly waiting in Uglyville Tally befriends Shay who is not as keen as Tally to become pretty. Shay tells Tally all about the Smokies. The Smokies are a rebel group living amongst nature outside of the operations of New Pretty Town. Shay plans to run away to the Smokies and wants Tally to come with her. 

Tally declines not wanting to stay “ugly” forever and Shay runs off with out her. On the day of Tally's operation to be pretty, Special Circumstances take her away and force her to infiltrate the Smokies hide out. Once there Tally ends up liking it, but inadvertently flags Special Circumstances. Tally, guilt-stricken, leads a risky rescue mission. 

Uglies raises issues about identity, culture, and resistance. Each of these issues are precisely what teenagers face on a daily basis. Tally struggles because on one hand she wants to be "pretty," but on the other she can see herself living as an "ugly" in Smoke. Like teenagers today Tally undergoes faulty decision-making, which only deepens her understanding of the world around her and brings her closer to coming to terms with who she is. In Uglies Westerfeld expresses the positive effects of resisting an image-obsessed society and how some rebellion is necessary.

Book trailer made by ME!

Cover art link: wellreadreviews 
Book trailer link: youtube

Hunger Games

Collins, S. (2010). Hunger Games. New York, NY: Scholastic.
ISBN: 978-0439023528 

In a post-apocalyptic period where North America no longer exists Panem is the new nation. Panem consists of twelve districts and each year a boy and girl are selected from each district to participate in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is televised event, which places the selected youth in an arena where they must fight to the death until only one is left standing. Sixteen year old Katniss volunteers to participate in the Hunger Games in place of her sister, Prim. 

Peeta, a boy Katniss goes to school with, is also a participant. He admits to the audience before the game begins that he is in love with Katniss. Assuming his announcement is a ploy Katniss focuses on her survival. Soon the audience is rooting for the supposed lovers and the Gamekeepers change the rules so members of the same district can pair up to win. 

Katniss nurses Peeta after she finds him wounded. After outlasting all other participants the Gamekeepers change the rules again and Katniss and Peeta must fight each other to the death.
 

Hunger Games is a fascinating look at how a dilapidated nation passes the time. It is harrowing and more often than not brutal. It is a novel that showcases a young girl's resourcefulness and unwavering attitude to defy barbarous authority. This page-turner is an edge of your seat thriller that focuses on survival tactics, corrupt governments, and manipulation.

Book trailer made by ME!

Cover art link: mamapop

Girl image link: ramascreen 
Book trailer link: youtube 
 

Life As We Knew It

Pfeffer, S. B. (2008). Life As We Knew It. New York, NY: Graphia.
ISBN: 978-0152061548 

The story starts in the spring with an uncomfortable Miranda Evans reluctantly agreeing to be her unborn half-brother or half-sister's godmother. A few days later there is talk of an asteroid that is on route to hit the moon. Along with her neighbors and family, Miranda watches the event take place. 

The asteroid knocks the moon out of orbit creating catastrophic tide shifts and climate changes. The world loses power, runs out of food, and eventually dark clouds that rain ash cover the sun. Miranda and her family ration out their food and water intake. As the world gets progressively worse and the food runs out Miranda makes a sacrifice that could save her family or kill her in the process.

Written in an epistolary format Pfeffer's novel looks at a natural catastrophe and how one girl scrambles to survive while looking after her family. This gripping and frightening read also points out the ramifications of a society that relies heavily on technology and disregards the environment. How would it be to start over?


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Cover art link: thebookette
Night snow image link: post-a-card 
Book trailer link: youtube 
 

Graceling

Cashore, K. (2008). Graceling. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, INC.

ISBN: 978-0152063962

Katsa lives in a world where a person can have an extreme skill called a Grace. People with Grace are often exploited, which is the case for Katsa. Her skill is the Grace of killing. When she was eight she killed her cousin with one punch. Her uncle, King Randa knows of her power and decides to train her in combat in order to create an exceptionally skilled assassin. Tired of her uncle’s abuse of her Grace Katsa creates a secret group that seeks justice over the exploitation and cruelty of power. 

In the midst of a secret mission she meets Prince Po. He can read minds and Katsa dislikes him instantly. Eventually Katsa agrees to help him free his cousin Princess Bitterblue from her demented father. Princess Bitterblue’s father has a Grace that proves dangerous to all but Prince Po. On her journey to save Princess Bitterblue Katsa discovers something new about her own Grace as well as her feelings for Prince Po. Katsa also discovers a secret that could potentially end all seven kingdoms. Grappling with all these new discoveries Katsa must resourcefully forge onward.

Graceling brims over with adolescent anger and confusion as Katsa struggles to find her own way. The novel is about fighting for what you believe in and standing your ground even if that means going against an adult. In this way Katsa grows and becomes more aware of her true self. There is also a tumultuous awakening in Katsa after meeting Prince Po one that leaves her bewildered and exhilarated all at once. Graceling is a great story that introduces a girl who breaks away from tyrannical constraint to bring on her own righteous uprising. Katsa is tough, quick-witted, and compassionate—in other words a girl to look up to.

Cover art link: everythingtodowithbooks
Eyes image link: deviantart 

Whip It

Barrymore, D. (2009). Whip It. Fox Searchlight Pictures. PG-13. 111 minutes. 

High school senior Bliss feels directionless, but knows she wants to leave the small town confines of Bodeen, Texas. Her best friend Pash planes on escaping by attending college. Bliss appeases her mother by participating in beauty pageants she despises. 

While shopping at a thrift store with her mother Bliss watches to women roller skate, leave flyers, and roller skate out. Intrigued she notices the flyers are for a roller derby event in Austin. She and Pash sneak out to Austin to watch the event and Bliss is instantly smitten with the rough empowering sport. Encouraged by one of the participants Bliss tries out for the team and gets in. 

Eventually Bliss has to make a decision to defy her parents to keep doing what she loves the most or give it up completely. 

This film shows teenagers that there are various outlets to find a true calling. For Pash it is college, but for Bliss it is Roller Derby. Both paths are legitimate and the film shows how Bliss's unconventional choice is the right one for her. The film also looks at the relationship between parent and teen as well as friendship and heartbreak.

Movie poster image link: wikimedia 
Movie image link: collider  

Luna

Peters, J.A. (2005). Luna. New York, NY: Little Brown. 

ISBN: 978-0316011273

Regan lives her life keeping her brother Liam's true identity a secret. Liam is a transsexual who goes by the name Luna. Keeping her transsexual brother's identity a secret becomes harder and harder for Regan. She first lets him try on clothes and put make-up on in her room after dark, but Liam soon announces his need to be Luna day and night. 

Regan and Luna have to consider the reactions of not only the public, but of their parents. Mom is a career driven woman who does not appear to have time for her family and Dad is constantly pushing Liam into sports. 

A boy in Regan's chemistry class sparks an attraction she never allowed herself to have and as Regan struggles to accept her brothers identity she soon starts to develop one of her own; one she always discarded in order to better aid her brother. While grappling with identity and the reactions of family and friends Liam makes a choice to not only free himself, but Regan too. 

This is a story to introduces young adults to transgender identity and in Liam/Luna's case transsexualism. Rather than speak from the point of view of Luna, Julie Anne Peters does something more authentic and has the narrator be Luna's sister Regan. 

By doing this Peters allows readers to experience the process of being transgender by the mouthpiece of a non-transgender; in other words a narrator who most readers can identify with. Regan is confused, but protective. She loves Luna, but in the end she discovers the adverse affects of compromise and starts recognizing the exciting possibilities in her own life.

Not only do readers develop a sense of what being transgender is, but also the difficult process of finding and openly acknowledging your true self.

Cover art link: bullies 
Girl image link: MaRYI