Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle on the nation-planet Thuve, where he and his family live in peace. When he and his brother are taken from their home by the Shotet – a nation of warriors led by a tyrannical ruler – he is taken prisoner and forced to attend to Cyra, the sister of the tyrannical Shotet ruler. Cyra’s currentgift brings her excruciating pain, but it also brings pain to anyone who touches her, making her into a cruel weapon to be used by her brother. Due to his own currentgift, Akos not only discovers that he is immune to Cyra’s power, but he realizes that he’s able to take away her own pain as well. As Akos works to free himself and his brother from the clutches of the Shotet, he and Cyra must decide whether to help each other, or to remain divided by their differences. 

I loved this book because of how well it built upon both the world and the characters. I thought that Veronica Roth created a very fascinating world that felt complex but not too complicated. I also liked how the characters developed throughout the book as a result of their environments as well as each other. I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it as an engaging science fiction/fantasy read.

Written by Aedan, Teen Volunteer

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In a post-apocalyptic Chicago, society has been divided into five factions, each centered around a particular virtue. When Beatrice Prior turns 16 she has to take a test to find out which faction she’s best suited for. Although she’s been raised in a family from Abnegation – a faction that values selflessness- Beatrice feels that the Dauntless – the faction that values the virtue of bravery – is where she truly belongs. However, Beatrice’s test brings unexpected results, and she’s shown to be suited for multiple factions – a Divergent. The woman supervising Beatrice’s test tells her that under no circumstances should she ever tell anyone, and although confused, Beatrice agrees. When the time comes for her to join a faction, Beatrice rejects her Abnegation upbringing and decides to join the Dauntless, but it turns out that just wanting to join isn’t enough. As Beatrice – taking on the name “Tris” – and her classmates struggle through the intense training required to become a member of the Dauntless, she begins to learn the hidden truth of her world and what it truly means to be a Divergent.

I enjoyed Divergent for a number of reasons. I loved the structure of the dystopian setting, with the factions and the Dauntless trials making for a fascinating storyline, and I thought most of the characters were well-developed and interesting. I also loved how shocking the story was, with a plethora of twists and turns, most of which were completely unexpected for me. I would recommend this book, especially for anyone interested in dystopian novels.

Written by Aedan, Teen Volunteer

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

It’s been 14 years since the zombie outbreak that sent the world into chaos, and Benny Imura is now 15 years old. He doesn’t have time to celebrate however, because now he has to start working if he wants to keep earning food rations. With no better options, he reluctantly asks his older brother Tom to train him as a zombie killer. Benny expects some boring job with his boring brother, but what he sees beyond the walls of the town of Mountainside shatters his worldview and forces him to consider whether the zombies are the real monsters in this apocalypse. As Benny continues to train with his brother, his strength and his morals are challenged again and again as he learns the truth about what lies in the Rot and Ruin.

I loved this book because it was an interesting take on a zombie story that I hadn’t seen before. It was fascinating to look at the more human aspects of the apocalypse and to look at the apocalypse through the eyes of someone who’s too young to remember anything before the outbreak. The story managed to be very suspenseful and intense at times, and it evoked a lot of different emotions and deep thoughts for me. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in the genre.

Written by Aedan, Teen Volunteer

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner is a very mysterious and adventurous book that takes you on an amazing adventure to The Glade. The story’s plot is about a bunch of teenage boys who are trapped in a maze with nothing but their names. They have no memory of their past lives before the maze. Thomas, the main character, gets set up in the Box at the beginning of the story. He is sent to a grassy clearing surrounded by high stone walls leading into a terrifying maze. From Thomas’ point of view you get to see Thomas and his friends, Newt and Minho, help him find a way to escape the maze. He has some issues with Gally, who tries to do everything he can to make sure he doesn’t go into the maze. If you like sci-fi books with lots of twists and turns, the Maze Runner is a great book for you!

Written by one of our Teen Volunteers

Cinder by Melissa Meyer

Cinder is a story based around the Cinderella fairytale. It is about a girl named Cinder who lives in a futuristic world and deals with a variety of problems, such as the plague striking her country and the tension with the peace treaty between the people in New Beijing( people in one part of the Earth) and the Lunars (people on the moon). She also deals with smaller issues, such as her robotic parts, acceptance in her adopted family, and her romance with the prince of New Beijing.

At the beginning of the book, Cinder is working at her mechanical booth to make money for her stepmother when the plague is spotted on a woman in the center. This is the start of the outbreak in New Beijing. Cinder immediately hurries home, but finds out later that her sister, whom Cinder loves, is also sick with the plague. Cinder’s stepmother blames her and forces her to be sent to the palace to participate in the experiments against the disease. While these events are taking place, Cinder also spends time with the prince, who met her after needing her help with one of his devices. Although Cinder hates lying to him, she does not admit that she is part-cyborg or Lunar.

Cinder is very smart, a leader, mature, and selfless. Her actions throughout the book were inspiring and admirable. She was constantly giving up parts of herself for the people around her, even for those she was not fond of. Even at her lowest points, Cinder still made the decisions that helped others, not herself, even when it seemed that she was all alone in the world. This is an amazing book that teaches the readers many life lessons while allowing them to insert  themselves into Cinder’s story. The plotline of the book is familiar because it is based upon a fairy tale that is deep in our memories, but the events in the novel are new, exotic, and enticing. This book is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles, a four book series.

Written by Arianna, Teen Volunteer

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a book with an interesting turn of events. Thomas  wakes up in a lift and the only thing he can remember is his name. He arrives in an unknown arena with strangers, all boys who are in the same predicament as him. Since their memories have been erased, they have no indication as to why they have ended up in this position and what means they must take to escape. 

There are jobs  each of the “Gladers” have to partake in to have order and to survive. To be more specific, each Glader is assigned a role based on what skills benefit that job. One of the jobs is the Runners, who have the role of going out into the Maze that surrounds the arena. They are the fastest and best of the Gladers. Runners run the Maze every day, trying to find a way out. They have been making maps of the Maze because when the doors to the Maze close, the Maze walls shift. Thomas is assigned to the role of Runner.

To be really honest, I was bored to death at the beginning and I didn’t understand what was going on. As I got further into the novel, my interest started to peak as I started to understand what the dilemma was and what the Gladers were trying to achieve. It was unlike any book I have ever read and I would recommend it for any teen who enjoys a good adventure. There is that feeling of fear of death and confusion about the loss of memories haunting you, trying to make you understand. This author has a creative mind and really showcased that in this novel. It can be considered a post-apocalyptic novel. The story really focuses on the natural instincts of teens under true isolation. This leaves readers to draw meaningful questions about life, nature, and the purpose of humanity, which I think is so important to consider as a teen.

Written by Julia, Teen Volunteer

Legend by Marie Lu

In Legend by Marie Lu, June Iparis and Day have met up in the most reluctant circumstances. One is a government prodigy and the other is the most wanted criminal, and their goose chase revolves around a war raging in America and ends in the most unexpected of ways. The energy of this book is unreal, with no page left without action. It’s a very easy read, and can be finished in a sitting or two. The enemies-to-lovers trope is something I’m always a sucker for, and reading such a well-developed relationship, like the one between June and Day, is so satisfying. Overall, I easily give this book 5 stars, and recommend it to someone who enjoys dystopian fiction, cool battle scenes, and strong female characters.

Written by Riley, Teen Volunteer

The Giver by Lois Lowry

In The Giver, Jonas begins feeling uneasy about an upcoming Ceremony, where he will receive the Assignment that determines his vocation for the rest of his working life. His parents remind him that his life will change after the Ceremony, but they reassure him that the Committee of Elders has been watching him closely and will give him an appropriate Assignment. The Chief Elder skips Jonas, until they announce that he has been selected as the new Receiver of Memory for the community, an important position that requires intelligence, and courage. The old Receiver, who calls himself The Giver, informs Jonas that he will have to receive the memories of generations of the whole world.

My opinion on this book is that it’s definitely the first book that introduced me to a dystopian world. This book reminds me to always have a place in my heart for imagining  a world and reality outside of my own. This book focuses on the deeper themes of individuality, loneliness, memory, and wisdom.

Written by Elyssa, Teen Volunteer

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

In The Maze Runner, Thomas wakes up in the middle of a glen in the center of an enormous maze. He, along with all of the other guys in there, has no memory of life outside of the maze. Their entire lives were erased just enough so that they would have language, motor skills, and just enough memory to understand irrigation/farming. Every month, a newcomer arrives at the Glade. After a brief orientation, they are assigned a job. The day after Thomas arrives, a girl named Theresa arrives. Thomas and Theresa know each other, but they don’t remember how or from when.

The Maze Runner was a good book you had to think about. As the reader, you had to solve the problem alongside main characters. However, I did not like how an immense amount of people died in this book. Criticism aside, I found the book enjoyable, and the plot kept me hooked.

The plot was probably the only reason why I kept reading. Some writers are able to integrate characterization and good writing with a fast plot. I disliked the pacing of this book, and Dashner’s use of cliches became very irritating. I recommend this book for teens like middle schoolers and high schoolers.

Written by Elyssa, Teen Volunteer

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent takes place in a dystopian world. The city is surrounded by a tall fence. The citizens believe it is to keep whatever is beyond, out. The city is made up of five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Dauntless, Erudite, and Candor. All the factions work together. The story comes from the point of view of Beatrice Prior, a sixteen-year-old girl who is known as a Divergent. The introduction gives a background to Beatrice’s family life in her original faction Abnegation. When she and her peers turn sixteen it is time to decide which faction they take part in. When Beatrice finally chooses, it opens her up to many more opportunities and she finds lots of courage in herself. Overall, this book takes you on the adventure of a girl finding herself in a city and a world to be discovered.

My opinion on this book is that it inspires you to find out more about yourself as a person and to reach to become who you are. For example, when Beatrice chooses to be in the faction Dauntless rather than the faction Abnegation, it shows her embracing her true self, which made me want to do the same.

Something I disliked about this book was the initiation process to the factions and how harsh it was. This is because many people were killed, injured, or did not make it past the first round. What I liked about this book is the courage Beatrice had through these tough and haunting experiences. I recommend this book for teens like high schoolers and middle schoolers.

Written by Elyssa, Teen Volunteer