When She Woke - BOOK CLUB

Get ready for a great book group meeting! We are now reading:

RED: the color of blood, the color of murder, the color of sin...

Have you read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne? This novel is a modern day retelling of sorts.

Hannah Payne wakes up in a cell after being injected with a virus that has turned her skin completely red -- her crime: she aborted her illegitimate pregnancy in a new American society where that is illegal. She will not name the father of her unborn child, a famous married minister, nor the abortionist, and is charged and convicted of murder. What happens to Hannah when she is released from the temporary post-chroming seclusion and is thrust back into a society where she is stigmatized and humiliated by everyone who sees her as a Red? Prevented from returning to her home by parents who will not allow her to live with them, Hannah must navigate a scary road to regain her dignity and make a new life for herself in a world where there is no longer separation between church and state -- and no protection for the Chromes.

 I  suggest that you obtain and read this book if you like dystopian, futuristic novels about family, religious controversies, crime and punishment, relationships, and self-discovery. The author weaves a very interesting tale -- yes it does have themes similar to those found in some of the classic literature, but it brings all of those together in a new and very thought-provoking way. This would be a fantastic book for a book group discussion.

I will be recommending this!



Discussion Questions - please post your answers in comment section

1.  Is this futuristic imagining of the direction of reality television believable?

2. What elements within this futuristic society have lead to the acceptability of the cruel treatment of those who've committed crimes?

3. Was Hannah's decision not to reveal the identity of either her baby's father or the abortionist justified?  What does this say about her character?

4. How do you feel about the baby's father and his decisions regarding not coming forward?

5. Discuss how the concept of religion is portrayed through the major characters: Hannah, her mother, her father, her sister Becca, the Henleys, Aidan and Cole.

6. Does Hannah change within the course of the novel? How?

7. What are your thoughts on Hannah's friend Kayla? In what ways is she different from Hannah?

8. How would you describe the halfway house run by the Henleys? Did it serve its intended purpose?

9. What aspects of Hannah and Kayla's flight struck you most? What experiences stood out for you?

10. Was the ending believable?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

Ms C.
Review originally published Sunday, August 19, 2012

Feed by M.T. Anderson Reviewed by Paige Espinosa

     Titus lives in a world run by consumerism. He even has a chip, the feed, implanted in his brain that keeps him up-to-date on all the latest trends and sales at his favorite stores. All he has to do is look at something he might like and the feed automatically tells him things like it, where he can buy them, and all the great sales he could get if he buys them now! His life revolves around the feed until he goes to the moon for spring break with some friends and a hacker forces them to live without their feeds for a few days while doctors make sure they'll be safe to turn the feeds back on. During those few days, Titus becomes close with a girl named Violet, a girl who is less fortunate than he is and has a whole new take on the life they live. She got her feed later in life and neither of her parents ever got it so she is familiar with a world without it. Titus begins to question the world he lives in and even some of the things he does.
     I gave this book four out of five stars because certain passages were just insanely thought-provoking. Some of it was too unrealistic for me but other parts I could totally imagine happening in our world. Although it is another dystopian novel, it isn't just like everything else that has been popular and being turned into movies. One part I really liked was that it wasn't from the perspective of a teen girl who was head-over-heels for this new boy she met on the moon. Instead, it was from Titus's point of view and he's just your average teenage boy. He isn't looking for anything lasting or any type of commitment and overall it was a realistic teen relationship that didn't give the reader high expectations for romance in their real life outside the book. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian or sci-fi and is looking for something a little more out-of-the-box than the average dictatorship-built-on-the-ruins-of-The-United-States-of-America-until-one-girl-brings-down-the-government-to-save-the-people-while-she-falls-in-love-at-the-same-time sort of series that everyone seems to love right now.

Red Rising reviewed by: Portia Rockers

 

Red Rising is about a guy named Darrow who is a Helldiver and a Red. A Helldiver is a person who lives in a cave under the surface of Mars, there are about a thousand people who are Helldivers. In this society it is a color coded caste system, red being the lowest. Many generations of Helldivers have worked in the mines all their lives for precious minerals that will allow the planet to be transformed. For the mine workers knowing the planet will some day be habitual is enough for there sacrifice. The Earth is dying out, and Mars is the only hope the human race has left. But when Darrow finds out that Mars has been inhabited for generations, by a group called the Golds. They think of the Helldivers as slave labor, and don't realize all the good that they do. The Helldivers have a rebellion, and disguise Darrow as a Gold and goes to there school, planning to be the eyes on the inside. The command school is basically a battle field, and no one can really be trusted.

I gave Red Rising five stars because this book really deserves it. Every page made me want to find out more about the book. The story had some gruesome aspects to it, but I think they were really important to the story. A lot of story was high stakes, and the way the society was set up reminded me of the Hunger games without totally copying it. I did like that the author did not try and squeeze a love triangle in the book like so many authors do. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story. If you like this book you would also like The Hunger Games and The Enders Game. Red Rising is also part of a trilogy, the second book is called The Rising Son and the third is not out yet, but I cant wait to read the second.           

The Elite Review by Paige Espinosa

     In this sequel to The Selection, America Singer finds herself competing against five other girls for Prince Maxon while still trying to figure out her feelings for Aspen. Once on solid footing, America finds herself no longer Maxon's only favorite and has to hurry up with her decision-making before Maxon gives up on her and moves on to someone he knows will be there for him. In this book, America also starts to uncover some of her country's secret history and develop a new, more intimidating meaning of what it would mean for her to one day possibly be the queen.
     I gave this book three and a half stars because even though it was still pretty unoriginal I just had to know what was going to happen with the characters, even though it wasn't hard to guess. Neither Maxon nor Aspen are outright awful choices so while reading this book, I couldn't choose who to root for! No matter which one she chooses, America will still be moving up at least one caste and both boys seem to genuinely care for her. I found myself getting frustrated at her for making this whole ordeal so much more difficult and messing things up with her temper. By the end, I even cried a bit and I'm not a sappy romance novel type of person.. The last time I cried like this while reading a book was when Dumbledore died at the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! I can't wait for the next book to come out just so I can know what happens with these characters, it's killing me a little bit on the inside wondering if my hunch is correct or if suddenly there will be a huge plot twist. (It could happen, this author is a talented writer, she could totally pull something crazy like that off like maybe killing one of the boys or America leaving both her boy-toys at the castle to join the rebel forces against her country and meeting a nice rebel boy who likes to read...)

The Bone Season- Review by Paige Espinosa

     Paige Mahoney is a gutsy 19 year old criminal with a high-ranking position in a wanted gang. Her rare ability to leave her body and enter the minds- or dreamscapes- of others around her makes her a valuable ally- and a dangerous enemy. In 2059 London, the governrment is now called Scion and it is searching for all people, like Paige, who have these special abilities. These clairvoyants are hunted and, when caught, are presumably tortured and put to death or given an option to join a law enforcement division dedicated to hunting other clairvoyants; however, option number two means being under the thumb of Scion, turning in your own, and being given thirty years to live before being "put down" like a sick animal. 

     When Paige is captured, all she knows about Scion is suddenly tested when she finds herself in a city that was wiped off the map 200 years ago after a devastating fire. Scion's secrets are unearthed with her discovery of an ancient race, the Rephaim, who value clairvoyants for their fight against the flesh-eating Emim. Paige's only options are obey the Rephaim and join their army against the Emim- leading to an almost certain death in the jaws of a fearsome creature- or to fight back and most likely be killed by her captors. Find out what happens by reading The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon!

     I enjoyed The Bone Season and gave it three and a half stars. The story was exceptionally original however the brief appearance of a love triangle took away from the quality of the story for me. The continuance of hinting at this love triangle after a shocking revelation that should have ended it also grew old and boring by the end of the book. Paige Mahoney was a likable character, similar to Katniss Everdeen (from The Hunger Games trilogy). Both are strong female roles, coming from livelihoods made on the black market to situations where you have to fight to survive and your sanity is pushed to its limits. Other characters, however, such as Warden, Paige's master, weren't quite as likable. Warden felt a little too cliche, almost like another Edward Cullen- dark, mysterious, immortal stalker. (from the Twilight series) Personally, I felt that most of the characters weren't developed fully throughout the story and at the end of the book I honestly didn't feel like I really knew much about most of them. Hopefully in sequels to come, Samantha Shannon will continue to develop these characters as they have the potential to be extremely intriguing- if not likable- characters.  

Review of Crewel by Jennifer Albin

3.0 out of 5 stars - Dystopian world of time weavers

This is the story of a girl who is basically kidnapped and taken to a fortress where she is to be trained as a "Spinster" -- one who weaves strands of time and life together to create and maintain the new civilization in a future version of Earth. These women are controlled by men who dictate where they work, how they live, and keep them imprisoned away from their previous lives, friends, and families

I read this book because I was scheduled to attend a YA workshop that featured the author as the guest speaker. I wanted to listen to what she had to say about her book (typical teen fare with the requisite love triangle that is soooooo old and actually ruined the story) before I wrote the review. Although the ending is a total cliffhanger, I don't feel very compelled to see what happens next nor do I care what happens to the characters. None of whom I identified with or liked. There are some interesting themes and topics covered that make the book one for more mature teens.

The author said that she was inspired to write the book because she fell into an obsession over the painting by Remedios Varo : Embroidering the Earth's Mantle. The picture is quite interesting and I can see how she imagined the world of Arras and the concept of weavers or "Spinsters" from that work of art.

The book reminded me of Lois Lowry's series that include THE GIVER and GATHERING BLUE. The author said she had not read either. It is the first in a trilogy.

DC

Bumped --- a review by Amy Lyon

Bumped

by Megan McCafferty

***

In a world where a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, where teen pregnancy isn't just okay, but demanded, how do two very different twins fit in? This is the story of Melody and Harmony, twins that were left on a doorstep with a note saying "Forgive me Melody and Harmony". Melody was adopted by two PhDs working on the pregnancy issue, and like her parents Melody promotes "bumping", even wants to be president of the "bumping" organization. Harmony, on the other hand, grew up in Goodside, where you must be married before you can have children. Harmony badly wants to take Melody back to Goodside, but she's harboring a secret that could ruin both of them...

Bumped was most definitely an original dystopian novel, but so confusing at times it was hard to follow. Keeping up with who was telling what became a challenge, because after a while the sisters have similar voices and the same slightly desperate tone. Overall it was an okay book. Fans of dystopian or virus books should definitely read this.

Wither --- a review by Amy Lyon

Wither

by Lauren DeStefano

***1/2

Welcome to a world where men only live to 25 and women to 20. And desperation lurks around every corner.

Ever since the death of her parents, Rhine and her brother have been on their own living in fear of the Gathers, a group of people that collect young girls for those who will pay. And those who don't pass the test... After being so careful for so long, Rhine falls into a trap, then finds herself passed out in a luxurious bed. From the beginning, Rhine works on finding the way out. But what happens when she starts to fall for Gabriel, the mistreated servant? And when she becomes the first wife, will she really want to leave?

Wither definitely kept me guessing, on the edge of my seat. The twists and turns are unexpected and the idea is original, a refreshing change. The characters at some points came to life, like House Master Vaughn and his experiments. Some parts were fairly creepy, but it brought a certain depth to the story. The ending is a bit predictable, well, part of the ending is predictable. This is not for people who love a happy ending for all, but I would definitely recommend this book.

Ship Breaker - a review by George Morejon

Ship Breaker
by Paolo Gacigalupi
**** stars

Ship Breaker is set in the future, somewhere along the Gulf coast. Thanks to things like giant sea storms, among other things, it's a harsh life in the day of someone on light team, what the scavengers who strip light materials from the old ships call themselves. Nailer's the main character, and around 15 and scrawny with a mother who's not there and a father who doesn't care. Perfect for a light crew worker. Life's hard in the crew though, always having to get enough goods like copper to survive. Miss your quota and you're done. There's no other work.

One day Nailer's out and about in the ship getting some copper like usual when the floor breaks and he's dumped in a room flooded with oil. After being betrayed by one of his fellow crew mates, he makes it out alive. Next time he goes down after a big storm, he finds a girl in an untouched ship. Would he return the favour of not saving someone in trouble, or would he save the girl?

Ship Breaker's an interesting book. It's also big, at around nine hours of reading. Everything's all super poverty, which is something I don't usually read. It's amazing how bad everything can seem, how cut throat. Nailer's personality made me feel on his side throughout the book, and the girl was interesting. For a rich girl, she was very street smart.

Across the Universe -- review by Hope Austin

Across the Universe
by Beth Revis
**** stars

When Amy is cryogenically frozen she leaves behind her boyfriend, her friends, and the rest of Earth for an unknown planet 300 years away. The only thing that comforts her is the fact that her parents will be there when she wakes up. So, when she is woken up 5o years before she was supposed to, she is understandably angry. She finds herself aboard Godspeed, which now has its own government and society, and is in direct opposition with the leader, something people didn't know was possible. Her whole is once again shaken when she learns her un-freezing wasn't an accident; someone tried to kill her.

At the same time, Elder, a boy about Amy's age, is learning how to become the leader of the ship after his superior, Eldest, passes. While he's always been rebellious and somewhat of a free-thinker, Amy's arrival prompts some serious questions from Elder to Eldest. The answers are more haunting than he could ever imagine.

This book was great read. It had good pacing and multiple layers. On the surface it seems like the setup for a romance, with a murder mystery thrown in. Once you dig a little deeper, the book is all about asking questions, thinking outside the box, being your own person. Nearly all of it is impossible under the rule of a tyrannical dictator. People who like sci-fi, mysteries, or dyspotian societies will love this one.

The Giver - Review by Halea Coulter

The Giver

by Lois Lowry

* * * * Stars

The Giver follows the story of a young boy named Jonah who is about to turn 12. Everyone in his class is also about to turn twelve, in fact everyone in the community Jonah lives in is about to have their birthdays. That is how society work, everyone is born at different times through out the year, but to make things easier, their official birthdays are all the the same time. As children get older, they get new privileges; at 8 they are allowed to wear sweaters that button in the front, at 9 they get their own bicycles to ride, and at 12 they get what will be their jobs for the rest of their lives. When December finally arrives, Jonah is given the job of Reciever. Jonah has no clue what that is, and neither does anyone else for that matter. The story goes on, and Jonah learns that he is to recieve memories from the Giver, hence his job title and the books name. The Reciever is the only one who has memories from before everything fell apart and was put back together again in a very strict fashion. The Reciever has memories of snow, rain, lakes, colors, sailboats but also war, destruction, pain, and death. These are things that people no longer have, in this society, they don't even have parents, they are birthed by a woman and named in December and give to parents to raise until they are 18. In this society, you do not die a natural death, it is a called a release; no one knows what they do, but Jonah finds out, all it is, is an injection, like is currently used for the death penalty. In the story Jonah's parents are caring for a baby, Gabriel, who doesn't seem to be maturing fast enough and when he is due for release, Jonah takes Gabriel and leaves, and the end of the book is a mystery.

Personally, I quite enjoyed the book, apparently other people did too, it's an older book, but it was given a Newberry Medal so you know it has to be pretty good. The book has been banned in many schools, apparently for the way it handles death, suicide, sex, and you can infer that it promotes communism. Honestly, I don't see why any of those things are issues, nothing in the book is really that bad. Also, i recently read the book Matched by Ally Condie and it dealt with the same futuristic, dystopian society and i liked it better. Neither of the societies seemed much different from one another, but I did prefer Matched, just because it had a more intriguing story. Also, if I had to pick between living in Matched's society or The Givers I would pick Matched because even though neither sounds fun, Matched sounds a bit better. In matched the adults are at least allowed to do what married couples are supposed to, in The Giver, they have to take pills to suppress sexual urges of all kinds. Overall though it was a very good book, it was a short and quick read, and I would definitely recommend it.

Matched by Ally Condie

Another "fight against the establishment" teen dystopian novel..., January 15, 2011

3 stars

This was a fast read but a very predictable dystopian novel. Other reviewers have remarked upon the similarities between the premise in MATCHED and The Giver by Lois Lowry as well as Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (to name two). The societies in each are quite similar as the people are completely controlled and their lives dictated to include the clothes they wear, the jobs they are assigned, the food they eat, and the way their mates are assigned to them. Men, women and children are not allowed to make choices or to think for themselves for the good of the Society. They have no concerns or worries, no fear of illness or accidental death -- everything is taken care of. In return, they are to ask no questions and are to obey the Officials. They carry 3 pills to be taken exactly as directed, they work and they play according to the plan, and they don't look beyond their own lives to wonder if there is anything else out there.

The book starts out well -- Cassia is going to her Match Banquet and her world seems full of happy possibilities. During this enchanted evening she is matched to her childhood friend, Xander, which is unusual since it's rare that matches know each other. In some type of computer glitch the next day, another boy's face flashes on the screen and it's someone else she knows -- a boy named Ky, an Aberration and someone who is unsuitable for match. It's after this that the story slides into cliche -- a love triangle, secrets, festering rebellion, etc. Cassia is fascinated with the words illegal poems that were given to her by her grandfather before he dies, and since the society has eradicated everything from the past except for the 100 best of everything, she commits them to memory. The words of one poem, "Do not go gentle..." fuel her dissatisfaction and stir the seeds of restlessness that lead her to defy convention and take chances that result in calamity and big changes in her life and in the lives of those she loves.

This is the first of a planned trilogy with the next book, Crossed, due out in November, 2011. I will likely want to read the second novel to see if the author will come up with a unique approach in this dystopia or if she will continue to borrow heavily from other novels in this genre. I hope it will be refreshingly original.

Ms C.