The Lab

How can you go wrong with an spy/action book with genetic engineering and a hero who has tons of money? I didn't think so. Six is part of a secret organization with agents and departments named after the cards in a deck. If the top secret deck is discovered, no one will be left to fight for the good in their decaying world.

The bad: Ya know what: there isn't any!

The good: Finally a good secret agent who tries not to kill people! And all that fighting for goodness stuff is pretty good.

My view: Being the aesthetic person that I am, I picked this book out at B&N because of its cover, and when I saw it again my library, I was pretty excited. With good cause. I'm not afraid to call myself a teen action book connoisseur, I a liked this one. Lots of action (much of it impossible), a troubled hero and an interesting story made this book a really fun read. I hope he writes an other one. But his name can't really be Jack Heath. Too cool.

My one word:

Successful

The Hunger Games

In one of the lesser districts of what use to be the United States, Katniss survives by poaching game from beyond the fence. She is the main provider for the mother and dearly beloved sister. So when the system tries to tear them apart, Katniss finds herself a contestant of the ultimate survivor game. On the way she is partnered with a kind boy from her district also taking part in the games. But is he kind? Is he her partner?

The bad: All the contestants are manipulated into attacking and killing each other. It's hard to believe that winning is so important to these teens that they are willing to kill. Even our main characters.

The good: I'm not sure that there is really all that much "good" in this book!

My view: I really liked the Gregor books by Suzanne Collins, until I stopped reading them. It was a case of me growing up waaaay faster than him, I just got disconnected. But I really did like them, so I was excited when Ms. Collins came out with a teen book. I did enjoy reading it, it was fun and crisp, but it didn't have the qualities of a really great book.

Unwind

Conner, Risa and Lev could hardly have less in common, except a common future, or lack of one. They are all scheduled to be 'unwound', a process which means all of their pieces are separated and put into a different form, an arm goes there, an eye here. But really, they're still alive, just in different form. Or that's what everyone would like them to think... But Conner and Risa aren't so happy about being in a different form, however nice it sounds. Lev just gets swept up in the flow.

This is a pretty dark book, but it makes its point. Quite a few people are killed from backlash of actions taken. Conner gets into a lot of fights, he's kinda out of control.

This was an amazing book about non-violence, trust, relationships, hard choices, and the true meaning of death, life and the human soul. I thought it was beautiful.

I loved this book, the characters are real, especially Conner, who is amazing. I would definitely recommend this book, if the premise doesn't completely gross you out.

1 Sleeper Code

Tom Lovett is just like ordinary kids, which of course means he's not. He suffers from a rare sleeping disorder were he can fall asleep at any time, and wake up days later. *Interesting historical note, Harriet Tubman also had this disease* But also of course this is just a front for something more sinister... Que creepy music.

It's kinda violent, but in a non-icky, James Bond way. A little swearing...

Tom is trying to do the right thing, and is noble about it. Madison is kind and considerate. They both have remarkably little resentment.

Really, I knew what was going to happen, where and when. The plot was see through, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. It isn't anything like Alex Rider, there isn't really a dark side; so some lazy winter day, sit down and let yourself be entertained.

3 Specials

Tally has once again been changed. This time not into a lame brain pretty, this time into a icy special. A special, someone who is trying to destroy everything that Tally formerly been working for. Can Tally find herself before she destroys everything that she holds dear?

Specials are compassionless, everything is for the good to themselves and the other specials. They cut themselves to keep "icy" (aka clear headed). But this is shown to be shameful, not good.

Tally makes the right decision in the end, I think, you need to decided for yourself.

The other to books were happy compared to this one. Not quite the action of the other ones, this one is more a drama. By the time you get to this book, you have to finish the series anyway.

2 Pretties

Tally is pretty now. Need I say more?

One of Tally's friends starts cutting herself to help her escape the lesions.

Tally is trying to do the right thing.

Well, kinda short, but you have to read the book to find out the rest. This book delivers the same message as the last book, only better. The only thing the kinda bit me is Tally switches her affections pretty (ha) quickly. But this time she sticks with her man. He's kinda cooler than David. Not just prettier.

1 Uglies

If you have problems with self esteem (don't we all?) this is really the book for you. If you like a good conspiracy, this is also the right book for you. Tally is approaching her sixteenth birthday, the day she has been dreaming and waiting for for YEARS. On her sixteenth birthday she gets to become pretty. Yup. Pretty. Reconfigure her bones, blast off her skin, enhance her eyes and make her pretty. But, maybe the surgery isn't what she thought it was. Tally's new friend Shay isn't going to do it. Shay likes the way she looks, who wants to look like everybody else anyway?

Part of an uglie's life is playing tricks on your room, escaping and doing wild things. Not wild as in drugs and drinking, but wild as in sneaking into pretty land or going outside of the city. Tally is prepared to betray a lot of people to get what she wants.

Shay tries to get Tally to save herself. This book mocks the lives we have made for ourselves, were the pretty make it and everybody else just doesn't count.

Ya know what's cool about the word uglies? The word lies is hidden in it. These children are told that to count they have to be beautiful. Their lives revolve around their sixteenth birthday. They are lied to and told that they must be pretty or not worth any thing. When I look in the mirror I don't see some one beautiful in the worlds standards, but am I really willing to base my life off of what everybody thinks I should look like. Does that even make sense??? NO! This book gets the good book badge.