The Scorpion Rules

The Scorpion Rules (Prisoners of Peace #1) by Erin Bow

More than 400 years in the future, humans have shown that they can't manage to stay out of war, so artificial intelligence has taken over. Here is the system: each world leader must send a child to live at a Precepture with the other Children of Peace. They go to school, they work on a farm, and if their country goes to war, they die. The man who invented the atom bomb said that keeping
peace through deterrence was like putting two scorpions in a jar: they can't sting without getting stung, but it still doesn't stop them.

One of the Children of Peace is Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy. Like the others, she knows that at any moment she could be taken to the grey room to die. Like the others, she has been prepared for this all her life. But she's in more danger than the Children who come from more peaceful nations, and when a new boy named Elian arrives, her death suddenly seems more imminent.

This book arrived mysteriously on my doorstep in some rather elaborate packaging. It was inside a box, packed in black crinkle-paper, and then encased in a larger box. I have a lot to read right now (well, when don't I?) so I am not easily swayed by a random unsolicited galley, but as soon as I read the description I was sold. You'd think I'd be tired

Exciting and threatening at the same time!

of YA dystopias by now, or that they'd all seem the same, but nope.

Bow has managed to create a dystopian world quite different from the others, though bits of it reminded me of The Selection and The Hunger Games. These kids are royalty, but they also could die. Plus, it's a futuristic world that contains new technology like robots, but also basic old-timey agriculture. (I will never again be able to hear the worlds "apple press" without shuddering a bit.) It's a scary world filled with mean people, and also robots, some of whom used to be people. Also, it takes place in Saskatchewan, which I think is kind of cool.

The kids are great too! They are a diverse cast of friends including Greta, who is essentially Canadian, her Asian roommate Li Da-Xia, and the new kid Elian, who is from a new state called the Cumberland Alliance which is part of what is currently the U.S. Others are from Africa and Europe, but of course the political geography is all very different than now. Their friendships are both strong and tenuous - any of them could die, but at the same time all they have is each other. I think my one criticism of the story is that I couldn't tell if this group of friends were the only kids at the Precepture or just the ones we focused on. There didn't seem to be any extras in the background, but late in the book it seemed like there were actually more kids there than I thought.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Abbott, the robot who was basically headmaster of the school, or Talis, who is essentially the supreme ruler and whose "Utterances" are quoted as though they're the Bible. In addition to these human-like robots, there are all of these little spider-like robots that follow the kids around and shock them when they behave badly. They are constantly watched by something called the Panopticon also, so basically they are hardly ever alone and have developed ways of speaking in code to each other. It's so incredibly strict.

I didn't know that this was going to be first in a series (though I should have guessed it), but the ending doesn't leave you hanging. In fact, I thought it might be a stand-alone until I checked Goodreads for more information. Although the novel left me satisfied, I'm also curious about this world Bow has created. In this book we just saw one Precepture, but I bet the rest of the world is pretty different. There's definitely potential for more story, and I may keep my eye out for the next part. If you like YA dystopias, this is essential reading!

The Scorpion Rules will be available on September 22. I received my copy courtesy of the publisher. I was not compensated for this review.

Uglies

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (2005)

I read Uglies for the first time in 2008, so check that post for the basic premise of the novel. I went on to read the entire series and loved it the whole way through (I wasn't posting about every single book I read back then so I don't have posts about those - sorry!) I just read it again for my Not-So-Young Adult book group at work and now I'm tempted to revisit the rest of the series.

The society Westerfeld has created was intended to correct the faults of the "Rusties" (that's us) who were all miserable and wreaked havoc on the environment, bringing on a final catastrophe that ended our way of life. One of the changes they made was to make everyone beautiful so that people wouldn't develop eating disorders, and to prevent people from being treated differently based on how attractive they are. It sounds all well and good in theory, but of course there is a dark side to it all.

Environmentalism is also very important in this society because of the havoc wreaked in the past. I was thinking about how many dystopias are based on us causing vast environmental damage and the later society rebuilding it under very strict governmental guidance. Right now, we can't seem to get it together enough to make any environmental changes, and I really wonder if it's even possible to do without having a complete catastrophe first. Or without some government exerting extreme control over everyone's lives. It's so interesting to think about!

Another thing I thought about was the idea of defying the government, the way some of the people did in this book by leaving the city and living off in the woods. One of the discussion questions I came across was something like "When is it ok to rebel against the government?" My reflex response is that it's ok if the government is wrong or oppressive, but who is the judge of that? Is it oppressive for the government to force you to vaccinate your children or to prevent you from buying semiautomatic weapons to kill each other with? Some people would say yes and some would say no. It seems very clear cut in a dystopia novel (sometimes) but real life is much more complicated.

Just like the first time I read it, Uglies was gripping and full of food for thought. I love reading about this version of the future and the people who inhabit it. I have already checked out a copy of the next book in the series, Pretties, which I may or may not read. I still love this series but as usual I have a whole stack of books waiting to be read. Stay tuned to find out whether or not I finish the series again.

Allegiant

Allegiant by Veronica Roth (2013)

This is the third and final of Roth's trilogy that began with Divergent and continued with Insurgent, so beware that there are spoilers here for those books.

At the end of Insurgent, we learned that the factions were a result of the world becoming unmanageable and violent. The city was created with these factions to restore order and cultivate particular values in its people. When enough people began showing strengths in more than one area - people who were called Divergent, like Tris - it was time to leave the city and help save the outsiders who were presumably still killing each other.

When Allegiant begins, Tris and some others do leave the city, but when they arrive at a place called the Bureau of Genetic Welfare they learn truths that are even more shocking than what they had learned previously. Reeling from this new information, Tris and Tobias must make extremely difficult choices.

The first two books in this series were narrated in first person by Tris, but in this final volume the story alternates between Tris and Tobias. This is a pretty typical mechanism, but unfortunately their voices were almost identical. That's not terribly unusual either but it does make things a bit confusing now and then.

Mostly I liked how the story progressed and thought it was a good ending to the series, even if certain aspects of the resolution seemed a bit too easy. There were some surprises at the end, and I have to admit that I like the choices Roth made. As with the other books in the trilogy, the interpersonal relationships were complicated and nuanced. It wasn't exactly smooth sailing for Tris and Tobias, but Tris's relationship with her brother was even more interesting and some very tough choices had to be made near the end. There was an epilogue that took place a couple of years in the future but, thank goodness, didn't go the Harry Potter or Mockingjay route. It gave you enough about how things turned out, without leaving you feeling strange and unfulfilled. All in all, I found a lot to like in this series and was satisfied with its conclusion.

The Fifth Wave

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey (2013)

The first wave shut down their lights and electronics and cars. The second wave washed away the coastal cities. The third wave brought sickness. The fourth wave taught the few survivors not to trust anyone. One of those survivors is a teenage girl named Cassie, alone with her guns, fighting to stay alive another day. When a boy named Evan Walker saves her from death she thinks maybe it's time to trust again. Or is it?

The Fifth Wave, for the most part, is very action-packed. Short chapters propel the reader forward making the book quick to devour. The majority of the story is told from Cassie's perspective, but other parts focus on a soldier-in-training named Zombie, and on Cassie's little brother Sammy who was taken from her early in the story. Sammy's chapter didn't add much to the story, but I liked the back-and-forth between Cassie's and Zombie's perspectives.

Without spoiling things, I'll just say that a couple of things didn't make logical sense to me. There are things you find out, but then previous things aren't re-explained in that context so I'm not sure what to make of them. I'm not always the brightest bulb in terms of figuring things out, but this is a young adult book and I should be able to understand it. Which I guess is me saying that the writing could have been better.

I apparently never get tired of dystopias and apocalyptic stories and this falls firmly in that genre so I liked it, but it wasn't an example of the best. The premise was great. I liked the characters, the action, the tension. It wasn't the most original story ever, but in this explosion of apocalyptic fiction that's probably getting more and more difficult. As much as I enjoyed this while I was reading it, it's not really sticking with me. And that's fine. Sometimes you need the literary equivalent of a one-night stand. Which this isn't meant to be - it's the first in a series that I'm not compelled to continue.

Surprisingly, this isn't the first book I've read by Rick Yancey. Several years ago I read his memoir Confessions of a Tax Collector, and only realized partway through The Fifth Wave that it was the same author. They are completely different of course, but I liked his memoir a lot more and remembered it enough to recommend it even years later. The same won't be true for The Fifth Wave, which I'll only recommend to those who have exhausted all the better titles in the genre.

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth (2012)

In Beatrice's city, people are divided into 5 factions: Amity, Candor, Erudite, Dauntless, and her own, Abnegation. All 16-year-olds must take an aptitude test to see which faction they are most suited for, and then choose a faction. Beatrice makes a difficult choice, but one that she believes is right. Along with the other teens who have chosen this faction, she must go through an initiation process that will test her in ways she could not have imagined. But Beatrice - now renamed Tris - is also hiding a secret, one that puts her life in grave danger.

I was fascinated by the idea of the factions. Each one embodies a particular quality that the members feel is most important and they take it to an extreme degree. Amity values peace, Candor honesty, Erudite knowledge, Dauntless courage, and Abnegation selflessness. Throughout the book, I couldn't help by think about which faction I would choose. It's really hard to pick ONE quality and forego all others: why can't I be both smart AND brave? Which I suppose is the whole problem with this setup.

Of course nothing is as clear-cut as the society leaders would like you to think, as per usual in a dystopia. Some factions have lost their way, and trouble is secretly brewing. I won't say anything more, because this mostly happens later in the book as setup for book two. (Did I mention this is a series? Did I even have to? Of course it is.)

Focusing on Tris's initiation is enough excitement for one book. The story is fast-paced, with a little bit of romance thrown in, and is just as compelling as any dystopia out there. If you liked The Hunger Games, this will likely appeal to you.

Every time I think I'm burned out on young adult dystopias, I read another one and get sucked in all over again. Divergent is no exception - I've been wanting to read it all year, and I'm so glad I finally did. I'm dying to know what's going on in some of the other factions, and outside of the city. I can't wait to get a copy of Insurgent!

Unwind

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (2007)

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights, and after it was over both sides agreed to a compromise. Life was to be considered sacred from conception until the age of thirteen. At this point, parents could choose to retroactively terminate the pregnancy by having their child "unwound" and all of his or her body parts donated. It is into this world that Connor, Risa, and Lev were born. Connor has started too many fights and has been too much trouble to his parents. Risa is a ward of the state and the home has gotten too full. Lev has known from birth that he would be unwound, because he's a tithe from his parents to the church. When one of them decides to go AWOL, all three are thrown together to face their futures.

The premise of the novel is a bit hard to swallow, but after hearing my coworker talk about it at a YA Crossover Booktalk that we did at the library, I had to try it. Maybe certain aspects of their society aren't fleshed out enough, and the motivations of the parents are difficult to understand, but that was more than made up for by the fast-paced plot, likeable characters, and one especially disturbing scene that was awesome and nightmarish at the same time. (Actually, I think it may have been the mention of this scene that really made me want to read it, and it did not disappoint.) In addition to the main characters were Roland, a terrifying bully, and CyFi, a teenager with part of an unwind's brain, and let me tell you THAT is not something that goes as smoothly as everyone in this world would have you believe. A possibly-trustworthy adult character, The Admiral, has a great back story that is revealed slowly near the end and provides some much-needed hope for humanity.

The plot includes strangers forging alliances in a society that breeds mistrust, friendship and betrayal, fear of authority, and some screwed up relationships between generations. Though the Bill of Life is supposed to make life more scared, in fact it just cheapens it. Unwinding isn't considered dying, but living in a divided state and most people refuse to discuss what that means, and what the process of unwinding actually involves. Are the unwound kids still alive in some way? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Just recently I remarked to someone that I was getting a little burnt out on dystopias, but apparently that's not the case. I'm also very happy to say that even though this is a planned trilogy (isn't everything?), Unwind works very well as a standalone. If you like that genre at all, I think it's a very good choice!

Railsea

Railsea by China Miéville (2012)

Sham Yes ap Soorap is a doctor's assistant aboard the moletrain Medes, traveling the rails in search of the moldywarpe named Mocker-Jack. Instead they come across a wrecked train in which Sham finds several pictures that set him on a hunt of a different kind. As he searches for something that should be impossible to exist, he encounters monsters, pirates, and - most dangerous of all - the truth about the railsea.

Though I've been curious about China Miéville for a long time, this is the book I ended up choosing for one reason above all: giant naked mole rats. I was not disappointed. The naked mole rat is not a pretty animal; in the form of a giant, burrowing through the ground and heading toward the train you are riding, it would be truly monstrous. Between the giant rats and the sea of railroads, Railsea contained some of the best imagery I've come across in a while. I really want this to be a movie.

Apparently, there are echoes of Moby-Dick here, in the determination of Captain Naphi to hunt down the mole that bit off her arm. Having never read Moby-Dick, I can't speak to this comparison or the extent of the Moby-Dick theme, but it comes up in most reviews.

Audio probably wasn't the best choice for me for this book. Aside from being distracted a number of times (through no fault of the great narrator, Jonathan Cowley), I didn't realize until reading reviews afterward that the book contains drawings. Also, several reviews mentioned heavy use of ampersands in the text, which may have added something stylistically which I missed in the audio version.

The story was good, if a little slow at times, but the best part was the world-building.  I wanted to learn more and more about the world Miéville created, and I hope there will be a sequel because I see a lot more adventure in Sham's future and I want to learn more about his world and its people.

I also want to read more by China Miéville. Perdido Street Station has been on my radar for a long time and I've avoided it because of its length. Starting with a young adult novel was probably a good choice, but now that I've gotten a good taste of Miéville and his talent, I think that novel may drift higher in my queue.

The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (2008)

In Prentisstown, there are no women. They were killed off by a virus which had less serious, but very strange, effects on men - their thoughts are all completely audible. They try to control their Noise, but it's still very difficult to keep secrets in this strange new world. Todd Hewitt is the last boy in this city of men, and in just one more month he, too, will be a man. For now he's alone with no friends, except for his dog Manchee, who is the only one who ever talks to him, but has little of importance to say. But one day as Todd and Manchee are exploring the swamp outside town they come across a very strange spot where there is a marked absence of Noise. Could it be a leftover Spackle, one of the aliens that were supposedly all killed off during the war? Or is it something even more surprising? In this first installment of the much-lauded Chaos Walking series, we follow Todd on an action-packed journey of discovery as he uncovers the truth about his world while trying to save his own life.

The world in this novel is strange and scary, as with any dystopia, but I especially liked the element of Noise, and the way people tried to control their thoughts so as not to give away their secrets. Having the animals talk made it very humorous and I think my favorite character in the book was Manchee. (He reminded me of the dog in the movie Up, who is hiding under your porch because he loves you.)

The story was very fast-paced and I flew through it. Something would happen very quickly --

Todd barely had time to --

And before he knew it --

Something came crashing down --

And Manchee started barking "Squirrel!!"

And then suddenly --

You get the idea. It makes for exciting reading and it's difficult to put down, but it kind of exhausted me.

Usually there is some sort of resolution at the end of a book, even if it's a series and you know the whole thing isn't actually over. Not here - there is no rest after this journey and although I did start on the second installment right away, I just can't keep up this pace. I'm not as young as I used to be.

If you like young adult dystopias, you really shouldn't miss this one. Grab all three volumes, turn your phone off, and immerse yourself in Patrick Ness's world for a weekend this winter.