Fantasy and Science Fiction

Bibliography
Meyer, Stephanie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005 ISBN 978-0-316-16017-9.







Plot Summary
Bella Swan moves to Forks, WA to live with her father and meets Edward Cullen. The two are drawn to each other and then fall in love. Bella soon discovers that Edward is a vampire who thirsts for her blood but has fallen in love with her. Another vampire picks up Bella’s scent and wants to drink her blood too and Edward must save Bella from him.

Critical Analysis
The Twilight Saga is a series of four paranormal romance books about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire. Bella is a character that could represent any teenage girl. She is a normal girl in high school who just happens to fall in love with a vampire. Edward Cullen is the boyfriend whom almost every teenage girl dream of, loving, protective, good looking and just a little bit dangerous. The theme of choice is heavy in the novel. Bella must chose between a normal life or loving a creature that desires her in every way, including drinking her blood.

Edward and his coven have chosen to live in Forks, Washington due to the mostly overcast rainy weather and large forests. The vampires in this novel don't follow traditional vampire myths such burning in sunlight and the abilitiy to survive on animal blood alone. The vampires get all sparkly and shine like diamonds, adding to their allure. The setting allows the vampires to be able to interact with humans.The overcast rainy weather allows Edward and his vampire family to live a life as normal as possible with jobs and roles such as a doctor and high school students. The nearby forest allows them to hunt animals and drink animal blood instead of human blood.

The first line in the novel, in the preface, is such a great hook. "I"D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD die--though I'd had reason enough in the last few months--but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this." Immediately the reader wants to know how the narrator dies, what events happened to lead her to the position she is in now. The novel starts off a bit like a mystery. Bella is new to town and is immediately drawn to Edward, she wants to find out who he is, what he is about. Likewise Edward is drawn to Bella but for an entirely different reason, her blood is intoxicating to him and he yearns to drink it, plus he can't read her mind. Edward has the gift of being able to read the minds of others, except Bella's, which intrigues him.

Most of the first part of the novel is about Edward and Bella getting to know each other, much like a romance story, but then the plot changes and ups the element of danger. Another vampire, James, has smelled Bella's sweet blood and is hunting her. Edward comes to her rescue and destroys James. Edward is the hero who saves Bella.

The appeal of the story is the forbidden romance between a vampire and human. The danger of loving someone who is not of this normal world. Edward's love is so intense and he saves Bella's life. It is a dark, gothic fairy tale of the knight in shiny armor coming to save the damsel in distress. Hillias J. Martin wrote for School Library Journal “Meyer adds an eerie new twist to the mismatched, star-crossed lovers theme: predator falls for prey, hurman falls for vampire. This tension strips away any pretense readers may have about the everyday teen romance novel, and kissing, touching, and talking take on an entirely new meaning when one small mistake could be life-threatening.” It is a book that not only appeals to young adult females but most women of any age that like romance with a bit of danger

Awards
• A New York Times Editor's Choice
• A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
• An Amazon "Best Book of the Decade...So Far"
• A Teen People "Hot List" pick
• An American Library Association "Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults" and "Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers"

Review References
School Library Journal v. 51 no. 10 (October 2005) p. 166
Martin, Hillias J.






Bibilography
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2008
ISBN 978-0-439-02348-1.




Plot Summary
The United States of America has collapsed and in its place a new nation has risen, Panem. Panem is divided into 12 districts and each year each district must send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete in the annual Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a televised gladiator type show where the contestants must fight for their life to be able to win the game. The contestants are chosen by lottery. Sixteen year old Katniss takes the place of her twelve year old sister and must use her wits to be able to survive and go back home to her family.

Critical Analysis
The Hunger Games is a trilogy set in a dystopian society. The setting is what once was the United States of America. It is now the country of Panem. Instead of 50 states, there are 12 districts. The exact date is not given, only that is has been 74 years since the new government has taken control of the country and created the Hunger Games as a way to keep the districts in line. The Hunger Games are a televised brutal game where contestants must literally fight for their life in a game with ever changing rules and everyone is out to kill you.

“Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator." wrote Jane Baird in her review for School Library Journal. The protagonist of the story, Katniss, is very caring and strong. She takes care of her mother and younger sister and volunteers to be the female tribute when her 12 year old sister's name is drawn from the lottery. Readers know that Katniss truly loves her sister to willingly take her place in a contest where the risk of death is very high. Readers also feel the fear and uncertainty the Katniss feels before and during the games.

Admist all the horror of killing and fighting to survive there is a love story triangle, Katniss' best friend Gale and Peeta, the male tribute from her district. Katniss cares for Peeta but soon realizes that a romance between her and Peeta brings audience approval and helps with their survival. It is also that romanance that brings about a defiant act against the Capitol and those in charge of the games.

The Hunger Games is an action packed novel full of suprises as Katniss and Peeta fight for survival. This novel may be set in the future but is reflects society today and the popularity of reality television shows, survival type games and violence on TV. We have to be careful before we become so desensitized to violence on TV that it will be real actual violence we witness on the small screen.

Awards
Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year"- 2008
The New York Times "Notable Children's Book of 2008".
2009 winner of the Golden Duck Award in the Young Adult Fiction Category
"2008 Cybil Winner" for fantasy and science-fiction books
School Library Journal's "Best Books 2008"
"Booklist Editors' Choice" in 2008
2011, California Young Reader Medal.

Review references
School Library Journal v. 54 no. 9 (September 2008) p. 176-7
Baird, Henriksen Jane






Bibliography
Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. 2005. New York: Simon & Schuster ISBN 978-0-689-86538-1





Plot Summary
Tally Youngblood is anxious to turn sixteen and turn pretty. She will get a special operation that will make her pretty and she will get to live a life of fun and parties. But a couple of months before her birthday she meets Shay and Shay doesn't want to turn pretty and runs away to live in the Smoke. Shay leaves Tally so clues as to where she is going just in case Tally wants to follow her but all Tally wants is to become pretty. The government sends Specials to question Tally about the disappearence of her friend and blackmail her in to finding her or she will remain ugly forever. Tally goes to the Smoke and learns about the price she will have to pay to be pretty and changes her mind about turning pretty. She inadvertantly calls the Specials to the Smoke hideout and all the Smokies are captured. Tally rescues her new friends and makes a decision that will help them.

Critical Analysis
Stevenson, Deborah describe Uglies as “…..the classic combat between the dark authoritarian underside of apparent utopia and the outsiders whose greater understanding threatens the protected world.” There is a price to pay for being pretty. "Your personality-the real you inside-was the price of beauty" ( page 406) . Tally is the flawed heroine of the story. She sets out to betray her friend and changes her mind when she gets to know the people of the Smoke and she learns about the brain lesions that are part of the operation to turn pretty. She wrestles heavily with the confusion and guilt she feels about first betraying her friend and then by accidently summoning the Specials who destroy her new friends and their community.

The story is set a few hundred years in the future and the government had a tight control of the people living in the city. But as with any futuristic utopian society there are those individuals who rebel and fight for freedom from the control of the oppressing government.

The story ends abruptly with a decision Tally makes to help her new friends. It is such an ironic twist that cleverly sets up the next novel in the series. It leaves readers hungry for more and wanting to find out what will happen to Tally and if she will succeed in her mission.

Review References
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 58 no. 6 (February 2005) p. 269-70