The Giver by Lois Lowry - 5 Stars

The Giver by Lois Lowry


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wonderful Young-Adult/Sci-Fi

The Receiver is a living receptacle for the communities memories and emotions both new and old. With the Receiver there is no sense of pain, loss, love, or joy.

As the new Receiver begins his training and along with it the accumulation of memories past, he realizes that it is up to him to do something about it.


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Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde - 5 Stars

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I debated between a 4 and 5 star review, so if you are on the edge look at it as a 5. The reason that I went for a 4 is that I didn't realize that it was the first book in a series and that there were so many questions brought up in the book and not enough answers for my liking.

With that being said, I stayed up to the weee hours of the morning turning the pages. The concepts presented in the book are very clever and unique. I have read a ton of sci-fi and this one definitely sets it's self apart from the formulated/calculated story line and developments of your typical sci-fi book.

Set in a corrupt post apocalyptic world that takes place after "The Something That Happened," Shades of Grey provides intrigue and novel concepts that trigger the imagination and opens up countless opportunities. Just what a great Sci-Fi should be. Ah heck, I'll give it 5 stars!

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Ceremony

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have never read a book like this. This book is intense in that you have no idea what is going on in the first 75 pages. There are so many flash backs and flash forwards. The author grabs the reader and immerses them into the book. They are forced to participate.

Just as the main character has PTSD (unknown at the time)from WWII, so does the reader. Effectively and engagingly done. As the central character Tayo reconnects with his heritage and begins to heal so does the flow of the story. It finishes with a balance of harmony of the present and hope for the future.

Definitely a recommended book, but not for the faint of heart. It will challenge your mind come away with a new outlook on the balance between heritage and adapting to the current hegemony.

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The above review is taken from my goodreads review. I so love goodreads! It's a facebook for book lovers. Need I say more?

Anyway, this is the book that I have selected to write my major essay on in my Native American Lit course. I'm trying to flush out the wording for my thesis statement, but it's going to be about Tayo's emotional healing as he moves closer balance and harmony with his heritage and beliefs. In need to wrap my mind around it a bit. If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.

Happy Reading!
-Heather

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you claim to enjoy Young Adult Fiction, this is a must read! The acclaim awarded to Farmer's futuristic science fiction work, The House of the Scorpion, is well earned.

Set not too far off in the conceivable future is a new land rightfully named Opium. The new country lies in between what was formally known as Mexico and the United States. The new country and it's independence was granted to a few drug lords in a treaty to end the mass influx of drugs into the United States.

While rounding up illegal immigrants like cattle and turning them into mindless drones could be rich enough for it's own separate book, Farmer only uses that as a subplot to the struggles of the Drug Lord's clone...

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Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up and just plowed through it. The characters are so lively and the pace of the book is fast and intriguing.

Taking a glimpse into the life of a traveling circus during the depression, this book offers readers a fresh story line. Striking a harmony between plot development and sound character development Sara Gruen pulls you in for a great read!

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