So, does the author look familiar?  Meyer, the author of the hyper-popular Twilight series, tries her hand at a bit of Sci-Fi.   Aliens have taken over the planet earth.  Known as “Souls”, these small, shimmering beings  implant themselves into human bodies (”Hosts”) and minds.  The  Souls are a peaceful group of aliens, but the price is that the original human spirits who inhabited their bodies are erased.  A small group of native earthlings still exist in hiding.  Melanie, a rebel earthling, is caught and implanted with a soul named Wanderer.  Melanie’s strong spirit refuses to be erased, and Melanie and Wanderer are forced to share one mind until/unless Wanderer can eventually eliminate Melanie’s presence.  But Wanderer begins to be moved by Melanie’s memories and emotions, particularly Melanie’s love for her younger brother Jamie and her boyfriend Jared, both of whom she left behind in hiding.  Eventually Wanderer and Melanie agree to try and find them both.  They find MUCH more than they bargained for.   There’s something here for all sorts of readers – thrilling science fiction adventure, moral delimmas, action, drama, and absolutely the most complicated love story you will ever find.  A bit long in the middle, but it’s SO worth the time and effort, as the end is completely fascinating and satisfying.

Reviewed by Mrs. Walker

M.T. Anderson is another author I’ve been wanting to revisit. I read his book Burger Wuss several years ago and liked it, and some of his other books, including Feed, have been getting a lot of attention. I really liked Feed. For starters, you gotta love the first line, “We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.” You soon learn the teenagers in Feed are always on the lookout for the next big thing, a new way to have fun, but too often they’re disappointed. To get a grasp of what the “Feed” is, think about all the things you do online: shop, check your email, instant message, watch videos, etc. Now imagine having all these capabilities from a computer feed linked directly to your brain. So, you can just think your IMs directly to your friends. They can share videos, memories, and thoughts with you at any time. Businesses tap into your feed to sense your emotions, wants, and environment to recommend the products you “need.”The Feed is the center of the story which involves Titus, his friends, and his new girlfriend Violet. Violet was raised in somewhat traditional means and is only now really exploring normal teen life of the times. Her emotions are tangled admist wanting to fit in and questioning what society has become, and her questions force Titus to acknowledge some of their world’s darker realities. The world in Feed is constantly mesmerizing. There’s the Feed itself with its onslaught of images and information. Then there’s the people and the physical signs that something is very wrong (hint: lesions have become cool). People drive in floating “upcars,” farms are just genetic plants where meat is produced in rows of tissue, and each neighborhood produces its own clouds and weather determined that day by the homeowners’ association. Despite how freaky everything appears at times, Anderson manages to keep it in a perspective that at the same time makes it clear that we are really not that far from such a reality.

A great read, Titus and Violet are each incredibly interesting and every turn in the story brings new fascinating details about this future world.

Find Feed in the Fiction section under FIC And. Note: Be warned that this book contains strong language.

Reviewed by Mrs. Walker

When Tony V discovers the buried diary of Pelly D, we enter Pelly D’s world which is at once familiar (teen girls obsessed with shopping, boys, and popularity), but strange details (why does everyone go by their last initial and why ARE they always swimming?) hint at a very different reality.  The novel is fun to read as you quickly begin to pick up the clues and put together the truth behind Pelly D’s world.  Then things take a dark turn as history repeats itself in a way humanity promised it never would, and Pelly D’s life is completely turned upside down.  It helps to have some knowledge of events surrounding the Holocaust, and the parallels in this novel are done so well that we are able to see how entire societies are methodically swayed by the rhetoric of their leaders.  A very interesting read on many levels, it’s language is easy to follow, and it’s easy to read.   Find it in the Fiction section under FIC Adl.  HINT:  Be sure to look very carefully at the cover for one important clue.

Reviewed by: Mrs. Walker