Insurgent by Veronica Roth is the second book in the dystopian Divergent series. Tris’ city has always been made up of five factions, but when two of the factions team up to target another, the future of the city becomes uncertain. After Tris and Tobias ended the attack, they were forced to flee, hiding from the government leaders who would kill them for their acts of insurgence.
All of Us Villains is book one in the fantasy series written by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman. Seven of the most influential families in Ilvernath, a small town with a secret to hide, send one champion, a teenager, into a death tournament every twenty years. The families are competing for high magic, the most powerful and uncommon resource left in the world. For hundreds of generations, these families have kept much of the truth of the tournament a secret.
I will never trust book Tok again. This “romantasy” (loose on the antasy part of the word) is exactly what the author described it as. A Frankenstein of every single romance-fantasy trope in one book. I don’t believe there is a single original plot within the book. The book takes you through the world of “Ilya” (what a creative name I know) where people called “Elites” reign with their powers and “Ordinaries” are well... ordinary. I love how the book does not let us infer or hypothesis power dynamics within this kingdom whatsoever.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a classic dystopian book. The story occurs sometime in the future, during the next world war. A plane of young British boys crashes on a small island. With minimal resources from the outside world, the boys try to find ways to survive. Some are focused on getting rescued, while others just want to have some fun. Ralph, originally the boy placed in charge, struggles to maintain order among the boys, especially against Jack, who is leading the boys down a dangerous path.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a classic, dystopian book. The story takes place in the future, in a world where it is illegal to own books. Guy Montag works as a fireman, and his job is to burn books, and the houses in which those books are held. He has done this job for nearly 10 years and has never thought anything was wrong. He was just doing his job and helping his community.
The Raven Boys follows teenager Blue, a normal girl in a family full of psychics. All her life Blue has been told that she will kill her true love when she kisses them. When she is helping her aunt on St. Mark's Eve she sees a spirit, Gansey. There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve, either you’re his true love or you killed him. In Blue's case, it could be both.
Flight 714 to Sydney is an adrenaline-filled adventure that kicks off when Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock, and Professor Calculus board a plane headed for Sydney. Midway through the flight, their plane is hijacked by an unknown group of criminals, and they are forced to land on a remote, uncharted island. As they explore the island and dodge danger around every corner, they uncover a secret base which introduces them to an entire new web of conspiracy and an unexpected encounter with a criminal mastermind.
All of Us Villains by authors Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman is about seven teenagers picked as champions in a tournament occurring each generation, where only one can reclaim ancient magic for their families. Now exposed to the world, the Blood Moon Curse tournament is being watched and followed by everyone in the city of Ilvernath. The story follows the perspectives of four champions and their internal battle to choose between supplying their family with glory or rewriting the rules of their predicament.
Salama was once a pre-medical student living a normal life with a bright future ahead of her. Suddenly, when war breaks out in Syria, her life is uprooted, and she watches her brother and father taken away to fight at war. Later, her mom is lost in another fight near her neighborhood. Now, the only person Salama has left is Layla, her sister-in-law, who is carrying her brother’s child. Salama feels heartbroken that her brother won’t be there during the birth of his baby, or to support Layla, but she promises that she will keep Layla safe at any cost.
American Predator describes Israel Keyes, a dangerous and sneaky serial killer, his capture and past. Maureen Callahan dives into Israel’s killings and unsolved murders. While reading American Predator, Maureen Callahan made it feel like you were living in the book. She did a fantastic job of highlighting Israel's life and the things he did. Callahan describes his murders as if you were hearing it from the news for the first time.
