Posts Tagged 'conspiracy'

Verify by Joelle Charbonneau

Published March 23, 2020 Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

# of Pages: 307

Meri lives in a world where everyone lives harmoniously in a beautiful city where there is no waste since people do everything digitally.  In fact, her mother was an artist who worked on the city beautification projects all around the city.  Meri and her father are still reeling from her mother’s tragic death and Meri thinks her mother left a message in her unfinished paintings in her studio.  Meri stares at the paintings for weeks trying to figure out what her mother was trying to tell her.  Then, one day she sees someone get arrested for having a piece of paper and she can’t stop thinking about it.  She starts investigating and learns there are a lot of things the government has done in order to ensure peace and beauty, including eliminating any form of protest or uncertainty in the community.  Is it possible that her government has taken the ability or desire to find truth or to substantiate facts? Will Meri be okay knowing that her rights have been violated or will she find a way to do something about it?

This book has been compared to Fahrenheit 451 because it deals with government restrictions on information.  The book itself, though, has a fresh and new take on what seems to be a very possible future if people do not try to safeguard choice and truth.  It is very believable that people could be persuaded to let these things go when promised with safety, beauty, and stability.  Recommended.

Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans

Published November 14, 2011 Adventure , Fantasy , RAC Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Fantasy

# of Pages:  326

RAC:  Yes

Michael Vey has known his entire life that he’s special.  He can somehow conduct electricity through his body and it sometimes shocks people that he touches.  Due to this abnormality, his mother has done many things to protect him including moving to another state and working a dead end job.  She pleads with him to never reveal this strange power for fear of persecution, even though he is constantly bullied at school.  One day as he is getting bullied his emotions take over and he zaps the bullies.  His actions are witnessed by a  cheerleader and  he is shocked by her reaction.  He is even more shocked when he finds out that there are others like him and there is a menacing force trying to gather them all together.  Can he keep himself and his mother safe?  Can he protect himself against the forces that want to find him and use him for their own gains?

This story was interesting and reminded me of James Patterson’s Maximum Ride and Witch and Wizard series based on content and writing style.  Michael has tried to hide his gift his entire life, even as his life continues to get worse.  When he finally embraces his power he finally realizes that he does not need to be the victim anymore.  Michael’s friend, Ostin, is an important member of the story as he helps Michael realize his true gifts.  The story is exciting, dramatic, and menacing.  Fans of fantasy or science fiction will not be able to wait for the next installment.

The Year We Disappeared by Cylin and John Busby

Published November 2, 2010 Award Winners , Nonfiction , RAC 1 Comment
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Genre:  Nonfiction

# of Pages:  329

RAC Book:  Yes

2010 Iowa High School Award Winner

In this father-daughter memoir Cylin and John Busby tell the story of how John was targeted and shot on his way into work in 1979 and the course of their lives changed forever.  It was not an accidental shooting and John was in fact targeted for a recent arrest he had made.  John did not die from the multiple gunshots to his face and underwent multiple surgeries in order to restructure his face, learn to eat, and learn to talk again.  Meanwhile, the family was under intense police protection because it was unclear if they were safe from any subsequent attacks.  The overall stress of John’s injuries and their virtual imprisonment in their own home takes a toll on all of them.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Cylin and her dad.  This format really helps the reader to understand the situation from multiple perspectives.  The fact that it is a true story will interest young readers because it seems so outlandish that something like this could happen in any community.  There are some gory descriptions of John’s injuries, but most students will not mind this.  Overall, many readers will find this a page-turner and will want to recommend it to their friends.

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