Dystopian series for reluctant readers.

I have many, many struggling students/reluctant readers attempt to read these series: Hunger Games, Divergent, Hex Hall, and the Lunar Chronicles, all putting them down when they realized the books were slightly more complex than they had anticipated.

While in Toronto I picked up, The Rule of Three by Eric Walters.  It starts with a typical high school day from the view of the main character, Adam.  The day turns out to be not so typical when all computers and related technology suddenly fail.  Technology never returns....

The world is suddenly quite different, and the book realistically portrays what could happen.  In some ways it is a survival guide with almost step by step instructions on what to do and what not to do.  It isn't morally complex like the other series, nor does anyone require a great deal of background knowledge, which makes this series (book two doesn't yet have a publication date) the perfect series for students whose skills aren't quite up to the other well known series.

Despite that, I too enjoyed the book, the characters and the plot kept me reading, and I am looking forward to reading the next book.

Rick Yancey's latest

The 5th Wave is an exciting page turner. An alien invasion like no other, it pulls you in and doesn't let go. I liked the main characters, and I enjoyed the complexity building up to what is the 5th wave.

Of course it is part of a trilogy; hopefully the run of my favorite trilogy's will work out in a manner that while I am waiting for the next of one series, another one is available.

For me, the hardest series to wait for so far, has been the 3rd in the Lunar Chronicle series (Cress will be published in Feb., 2014..I am pretty much counting the days), so while I don't feel as intense about The 5th Wave, it is utterly enjoyable.

I highly recommend it, while you wait for Allegiant, the 3rd in the Divergent series :-).

Exciting debut

Wow...I am so excited by this series' debut: The Testing by Joelle Charbonmeau, which will be published June, 4th. The writing was compelling, and the suspense level was quite high. I was honestly nervous at various points.

While many dystopian novels are compared to The Hunger Games, I think in the future, they will be compared to The Testing.

I have read many of these series, and often feel they could have been better written if they had just remained a stand alone novel...that too many writers are creating trilogies where only one book is needed. Cinder and Divergent being the recent exceptions.

I don't feel that way about The Testing. I am so looking forward to reading the next book, and will re-read this one when I share it with my book club, colleagues and students.

The plot sounds trite, in a way...a young girl waits to see if she is chosen for...in this case, higher education in a bleak, war destroyed, future. However, Charbonneau ratchets up the tension via her writing style and plot points.

If you would like to read a prequel, here it is: http://www.hmhbooks.com/thetestingtrilogy/prequel.html

Kafka updated

I recently read, The Facility, by Simon Lelic. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and want everyone to read it, especially those that have no issues with our (USA) drone policy, FISA "laws" and the like.

A man named Arthur suddenly finds himself taken and imprisoned. His wife (they are separated) has no knowledge of where or why he has disappeared, and she enlists a journalist to aide her in finding him.

The scenes in The Facility are all to real, if you have ever read The Trial, or any transcripts from the McCarthy era. I found it particularly compelling as well, when the journalist is trying to get his editor to print what he has, and is denied...for reasons that I am sure occur often these days, "national security"

If you don't want to worry where our laws might lead, don't read this book, but if there are niggling thoughts in your head, when you read about warrantless wiretapping or drones being for the good of all, then rush to your bookstore, and buy The Facility.