Archive for September, 2016

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Published September 26, 2016 Adventure , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

the-jewel

Genre:  Futuristic Fiction

# of Pages:  358

Violet was pulled away from her family three years prior to the beginning of the story because she tested positive for a specific gene that made her desirable in their community.  After completing three years of training she is to be sent to auction to be sold to a rich and powerful royal family to be a surrogate for a royal child.  Violet would rather return home to her family, who resides in the marsh, in order to live in poverty than to be a plaything for the royals whilst living in true luxury.  Once Violet is purchased she does not know what to make of her new owner, her owner’s ungrateful son, or her owner’s absent husband.  Plus, she begins to discover there are lots of secrets in the Jewel, where the royal live.  She finds herself struggling not to rebel against those around her, but they really do have all the power over her.  Can she keep her beliefs intact while everyone around her views her as an object to be owned and manipulated?

Fans of The Selection and Divergent will enjoy the first in this series.  Violet is tough and smart, but there is so much she does not know that the reader gets to find out the true nature of her situation along with her.  There are some very intriguing supporting characters including the man who helped her prepare for her auction, her best friend who went to auction at the same time as her, and the royal women who scheme and gossip behind each other’s backs.  All in all, an intriguing premise that will hold your interest until the surprising last page.

Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan

Published September 19, 2016 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

crazy dangerous

Genre:  Mystery

328 p.

2016-17 Iowa High School Award Winner

Sam Hopkins is the son of a preacher so he is often not treated the same as other kids, but he is not immune to bullies either and on one particular day while running he inadvertently draws the attention of three of the biggest bullies in school.  He refuses to back down to them and ends up joining their gang for a short while and they teach him how to steal cars.  Eventually he comes to his senses and realizes that he could get himself into real danger, but just as he’s telling them he won’t steal actual cars with them he sees them pick on Jennifer, who is an unusual girl in school who often speaks of demons and other strange things.  The bullies are about to go after her when Sam steps in and allows her to escape while he himself takes a terrible beating.  Afterward, everyone praises him for saving “poor, crazy” Jennifer and Sam begins to realize that all of  her “premonitions” might in fact be real.  Can he convince anyone that she might really be telling the truth about her visions?  Will he continue to get into more trouble if he keeps staying involved with her?

This story is difficult to describe without giving the heart of the story away.  Sam is confused by Jennifer and her condition, which makes the reader confused as well.  Meanwhile, everything that happens to Sam does eventually come together to make an interesting and complete story, but for a long time several of the pieces do not seem to go together at all.  Sam is a well crafted, complex character who is easy to identify with even if the reader has nothing in common with him.  For those who stick with the story past the beginning they will be pleasantly surprised by the action and fast paced resolution.

Archives