Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Ishiguro, K. (2005). Never Let Me Go. (Unabridged, 8 discs). Random House Audio.
ISBN: 0739317989

Classification: audio book, fiction

Genre: science fiction

Age Level: 11th-12th grade

Subjects: adult crossover, audiobook, cloning, coming of age, current events, death, distopia, fiction, friends, identity, love story, scifi

Reader's Annotation: Kathy H. is a Carer looking back over her life as a clone raised only to be an eventual organ donor.

Summary: Kathy H. is 31 years old and finishing up her allotted time as a Carer. Knowing that she will soon be called upon to donate organs she needs for survival, she is reviewing her life and her upbringing. As a child, she lived in an exclusive boarding school called Hailsham that was set aside for clones. She had a good education and made many friends. Her entire childhood and teen years, she was well looked after and cared for. She and her friends knew they were all different, and as they grew older they were given to understand what their role in this society was. Kathy and her friends don't question their fate, and Ishiguro's work causes us to question what sort of society could create these sorts of circumstances.

Reviews / Awards:

Slate Review by Margaret Atwood

Author Info:
Kazuo Ishiguro's biography on Contemporary Writers.

Potential Hotspots:

teen sex, cloning, oppression

Readalikes:

• The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
  
• Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection: This is a book for teens who like mysteries and for teens who like to wrestle with tough issues. Cloning and stem cells are hot topics in the news and teens can use this book to think about how science can both help and destroy a society.

Other:

I found this story to be very slow paced, which only increased the creepiness when I finally came to understand what was happening in the book. I'm a fast reader, so listening to this one as an audiobook made it even slower, and thus, even more creepy.

Evaluation:

4 stars

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Pearson, M. (2008). The Adoration of Jenna Fox. (p. 272). Henry Holt.

ISBN: 9780805076684

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: science fiction

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects: cloning, current events, distopia, family, identity, scifi

Reader's Annotation: Jenna wakes up from a coma and does not remember her life before the accident.

Summary: Jenna Fox wakes up from a coma and has to be reminded of who she is, where she is, and what her life is about. Her parents assure her that her memories will return in time and they provide her with videos of her former life to jog her memory. As the pieces begin to fall together, Jenna realizes there is some mystery her parents are keeping from her...such as why her grandmother doesn't seem to like her, or why she has no friends. Set in a distopic future, after several natural disasters have destroyed large portions of the population, Jenna's society struggles to balance scientific capability with moral standards. Jenna, as she uncovers the mystery behind her coma, is forced to wonder how much of a person makes a person a person.

Reviews / Awards:

Reviews from Publisher's Website

Author Info:
Mary Pearson's website

Potential Hotspots:

natural disasters, genetic manipulation

Readalikes:

• Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
  
• Eva by Peter Dickinson
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This story is a great mix of science fiction futurism and moral gray areas. Any reader who has ever felt their parents were a bit overprotective, or had high expectations, will relate to Jenna's situation. Teens will probably enjoy grappling with the question of whether or not Jenna's parents did the right thing, and whether or not Jenna has (or ever did have) a soul.

Other:

Evaluation:

4.5 stars

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Doctorow, C. (2008). Little Brother. (p. 384). Tor Teen.

ISBN : 0765319853

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: science fiction

Age Level: 1oth-12th grade

Subjects: current events, distopia, family, friends, love story, prejudice, scifi, war

Reader's Annotation: Marcus gets tangled up with the Department of Homeland Security when he is in the wrong place after a terrorist attack.

Summary: Marcus and his friends cut school to hunt for a clue in an online game on the same day terrorists blow up the Bay Bridge. They are picked up by Homeland Security, held for days, and questioned about their activities. While they are not terrorists they are all capable hackers. They are released but warned they will be watched. Scared and furious that his government would treat him this way, Marcus begins an underground resistance centered around an internet the government can't spy on.

Reviews / Awards:

New York Times Review

Author Info:
Cory Doctorow's Website

Potential Hotspots:

drinking, sex, civil disobedience

Readalikes:

• Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
  
• Feed by MT Anderson
• Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
One reviewer wrote "Too bad about that sex scene. This book should be taught in every Government and Civics class in every high school. The sex scene means teachers won't be able to use it." This is definitely a book that will get people talking, especially in today's PATRIOTAct culture. This is the kind of book libraries were created to carry -- the kind that makes some people nervous.

Other:

I'd guess this will be made into a movie before long.

Evaluation:

4.5 stars

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Westerfeld, S. (2007). Extras. (p. 432). Simon Pulse.

ISBN: 1416951172

Classification: book, fiction

Genre: science fiction

Age Level: 9th-12th grade

Subjects:distopia, love story, scifi, series, siblings

Reader's Annotation: Aya Fuse posts a huge story to boost her popularity and gets more than she bargains for.

Summary: This fourth book in the Uglies series takes place a few years after Tally Youngblood's mindrain saved the world from pretty stupidity. Now, much of world is run on an economy based on fame. Most everyone strives to increase their popularity, measured by a "face-rank." Aya Fuse is fifteen, and a kicker, someone who publishes stories to the feed in hopes of increasing her face rank. She follows the Sly Girls, a group interested in daredevil stunts and staying out of the public eye. They stumble upon the biggest story since the fall of the mindrain. But the story is so big, Aya will need the help of the most famous person of all, Tally Youngblood, to keep her out of trouble.

Reviews / Awards:

Uglies, the first book of the series was chosen by YALSA as a "Best Book for Young Adults" in 2006
New York Times Review

Author Info:
Scott Westerfeld's Website

Potential Hotspots:

distopia, some fighting (no one is killed)

Readalikes:

• Feed by M.T. Anderson
  
• Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This recreational read is part of the Uglies series, and will be much requested by readers if it is not part of a collection.

Other:

I liked this book more than I thought I would, as the fourth book in a planned trilogy, I thought it might be a bit superfluous. My favorite character was Moggle the hovercam.

Evaluation:

3.5 stars

Woolvs in the Sittee by Margaret Wild and Anne Spudvilas

Wild, M., & Spudvilas, A. (2007). Woolvs in the Sitee. (p. 40). Boyds Mills Press - Front Street imprint.

ISBN: 1590785002

Classification: graphic novel, fiction

Genre: urban fantasy

Age Level: 9th -12th grade

Subjects: distopia, scary, urban fantasy

Reader's Annotation: A boy is living alone in a basement, afraid to go outside where the woolvs rule the sitee.

Summary: This is the story of a boy living, seemingly, in a post-apocalyptic world. We don't know much about him, except that his family is gone and he lives in the basement of his building, all alone except for the neighbor upstairs, Missus Radinski. Things may have been bad for quite awhile, as the narrator spells entirely phonetically, as though he's never been to school. He is terrified of the "woolvs," though as the reader, we're never given to know what the "woolvs" are. This is a short, haunting story, with beautifully dark illustrations, that leave the reader to interpret what happens to the characters after the book closes.

Reviews / Awards:

• 2007 Shortlisted for CBC Book of the Year - Picture Book
• 2007 Shortlisted for ABPA Book Design Awards - Picture Book
• 2006 Winner of the Aurealis Award - Children's Book

Author Info:

• Anne Spudvilla's Webpage
• Margaret Wild's Wikipedia page
  

Potential Hotspots:

implied violence

Readalikes:

• The Arrival by Shaun Tan
• The Wall by Peter Sis
  

Why it belongs in a YA collection:
This graphic novel is a great example of a story that leaves a lot of decisions in the hands of the reader. It would also be a good demonstration of a character's voice, as the narrator has a distinct way of conveying his message.

Other:

Really amazing illustrations. This reminds me of the first time I read the short story "The Lady or the Tiger" and felt completely cheated by the story, because there was no definite ending. This would be a great example of a book that leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Evaluation:

4.5 stars