Monday, December 16, 2013

Variant by Robison Wells

This is a Golden Sower nominee for NEXT year (2014-2015).  What an exciting story.  Benson Fisher has been in foster care almost his entire life.  He is excited to get the opportunity to attend the "prestigious" Maxfield Academy.  But this is no ordinary school...its a trap.  There are no adults here, but the students must follow strict rules, someone is ALWAYS watching.  I liked that Benson continued to "buck" the system.  He was always questioning why the students continued doing what they were expected to do without fighting back.  He is determined to escape his new "home."  This book ends with a cliff hanger, but that is ok, because We now have the 2nd one in the series called "Feedback."  We also have both these books on for the ipod shuffles. 

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

As Ever, Gordy by Mary Downing Hahn

This is the second (I believe) book about Gordy.  The first one is "Stepping on the Cracks."  I haven't read the first one and I was just fine.  Gordy has been living with his grandma after his abusive dad and doormat mom have left him and his sister June there.  He is doing really well, but then tragedy strikes and he has to return to his hometown to live with his brother.  Everyone in his old town knows him as a trouble maker from a trouble making family and he is not sure he can change their mind.  It never says what year it takes place in, but they talk a lot about people serving in the war so I think it is the late 1940s early 1950s.  You can also tell by the dialogue.  I found it charming.  There is no swearing which is a nice change from some of today's realistic fiction.  If I have time, I do believe I am going to make a point to read "Stepping on the Cracks" to read about Gordy's life before he had to go live with his grandma.