Random Reads
Teen Book Reviews by Anne Keller
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
Cosmo Hill is given a once in a lifetime opportunity to escape from the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys and he's successful. Set in a future society, Cosmo has been living at the orphanage for 14 years and the life expectancy is only 15 years because the boys are subjected to harsh experiments and tests. After his escape, Cosmo is injured and almost dies. During his borderline death, he sees a hairless blue creature, a parasite, who lands on his chest to feed. Cosmo is rescued by the Supernaturalists, a group of outlaw kids who are dedicated to eradicating the parasite population. Cosmo learns he has a special gift like the other Supernaturalists, he can see the parasites while normal people cannot. He joins the group as they destroy the parasites in order to save the earth's population. The Supernaturalists form a tight family group and the reader will enjoy the plot's twists and turns. This reader is begging for sequel!
Linus Hoppe is fourteen years old and about to take the biggest test of his life. The test, given by the Great Processor, will determine his future. He currently lives with his family in Realm One where life is easy and comfortable. The better part of society lives in Realm One. Realm Two and Three are reserved for the castoffs of society. Linus is almost assured a future in Realm One because he gets good grades and stays out of trouble. He becomes bored with his structured life and believes the varying Realms are discriminatory and thinks somebody should change the current state of the world. Will Linus end up in Realm One or will he try to alter his destiny? This futuristic novel will leave readers almost certain to read the sequel, The Second Life of Linus Hoppe.
The Second Life of Linus Hoppe by Anne Laure-Bondoux
This sequel takes place six months after The Destiny of Linus Hoppe. Linus has spent six months in Realm Two working a factory type job with endless hours. Realm Two is nothing what he expected and regrets his decision of altering the test scores. An opportunity of escape provides Linus and his friends with a renewed chance to overthrow the Great Processor and expose the system as fraudulent. This action packed novel is just as suspenseful as the first and ends with a final resolution. Will Linus succeed? Or will he fail?
Rash by Pete Hautman
This novel takes place in the late twenty-first century in the USSA, the United Safer States of America. Society has drastically changed since Bo's Grandpa was born in 1990. The USSA is intent upon keeping everyone safe. Certain sports are outlawed, everyone wears protective gear for ordinary activities like running, and as a result, people live much longer. Bo is wrongly accused of starting a rash in his high school so he is sentenced to work in a pizza factory in the Canadian tundra which is surrounded by polar bears to ensure against prison breaks. Many families have members who are incarcerated and they take on the menial labor jobs formerly held by paid employees. Bo adjusts to the the grueling 16 hour days making pizzas until he is recruited to play the highly illegal game of football. I was apprehensive to read this novel because I generally shy away from anything sci-fi related or anything involving futuristic societies. Based on the brilliance of Pete Hautman's earlier novel Godless, I decided to give Rash a chance. I immediately fell in love with this novel and readers will enjoy a glimpse of what the future may hold.