This book is a lovely, in depth look at Padmé's transition between Queen and Senator. It delves into the the inner workings of the galactic Senate and how Padmé finds her place there. I loved the cover! The art was gorgeous and it did a good job of conveying the theme of the book. I also loved how Padmé's handmaidens were their own characters, and how the author fleshes out characters that were only present for seconds in the movies. It's as compelling as some of the best fics I've read, which is truly the highest compliment I can give a novel.
Mena, a girl at the Innovations Academy, has her eyes opened and wants more out of life than to be stuck being a possession. She and her friends meet a boy named Jackson while out, and come up with a plan to escape from the perfection and obedience of the Academy. I love the cover because it goes to show that under a mask of perfection there is always another side hidden underneath.
The Similars is a fantastic literary tale of understanding actions and feelings of others while simultaneously exploring the concept of clones that may be a future reality. Emma is dealing with the aftermath of a friend's suicide when six clones, dubbed 'The Similars', begin attending her high school. One of them wears the face of her recently deceased friend, but she is quick to understand that he is not Oliver and will never be Oliver.
Twelve year old Jonas lives in what seems like an ideal world. Everything is chosen for you, where you live, who your spouse is, what your job is, because, according to the community leader, when people have the opportunity to choose, they choose wrong. But Jonas never expected his life assignment to be the Receiver. He is assigned to learn from the Giver, but not what he thinks he is going to learn. With the help of the Giver, he begins to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community.
When Ishmael wakes up from stasis aboard the Pequod, he is amazed at how different this faraway planet is from the dying Earth he left behind. He is here to work, risking his life to hunt down enormous ocean-dwelling creatures to harvest and send back to the resource depleted Earth so he can save enough money to get his foster parents off Earth before it is too late. But time and again the chase boats are ordered to leave easy prey behind so they can pursue a dangerous and elusive monster, few people who have seen it have lived to tell the tale.
So .. it's about this 15 year old boy named Michael Vey and he has electric powers,he has had it his whole life. his mom knows it too so they try to keep it hidden and that is a bit hard for him since he was born with Tourette's Syndrome, and is always picked on. one day a bunch of bullies were hitting him and he got so mad he "pulsed' them and they were terrified of him after that day, the bad thing was someone saw electricity come out of his hands when he did it. it was his crush Taylor the head cheerleader and the prettiest girl in the high school, she saw what had happened.
Wonderfully exciting action that maintains just the right amount of suspense and energy from start to finish. At heart, this is a heist story; it just happens to be set in a universe of wonder: under the adrenaline are fascinating world-building and intriguing characters--of all shapes and sizes, far beyond human. And lurking somewhere in the background are enthralling science fiction considerations that keep simmering into awareness. It's not just action, but intelligent action. With excellently adept, unobtrusive writing. This is a universe I hope to visit again soon.
Er, no, that's not quite right. More like bleak, biting, and darkly satirical.
And far too real.
Though science fiction set in a near future, this is all about living at the lowest levels of the global economy, subject to extremes of imperialism, inequality, ethnocentrism, co-option, and poverty. It's an exploration of the dark sides of economic and cultural power. It's just that in this case it's the humans of Earth who have been colonized.
Thomas wakes up in the lift with no memory except that of his name. He is surrounded by other boys whose memories are also gone. They are in the glade, and it is surrounded by towering stone walls that make an ever-changing and limitless maze. It is the only way out, and no one has ever gone through it alive. But then a girl arrives, the first girl ever, and she carries a terrifying message.
In this futuristic novel, young Andrew Wiggin is singled out from a young age as different. He is a child of great ability; those in charge, as well as jealous peers, notice. Because of this, he is ostracized and targeted -- this hardens young Ender and prepares him for battle in Battle School. Here, he is forced to prove himself against all odds.
Overall, the book was a fast-paced, interesting read. It kept me engaged and was fun and easy to follow, but also had plenty of plot twists.
