The Abyss Surrounds Us - YA Review by Sam T



Reader: Sam T.
Age: 16
Title: The Abyss Surrounds Us
Author: Emily Skrutskie
Publisher: Flux
Pub Date: 02/08/16
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I liked this book well enough (although I didn't like the cover or the title, but that's discussed later). The character development was nice, and the monsters were cool. 
     I do have one (very minor) reservation about the monsters, though. The book mentions whales, fish, cephalopods, turtles, and sea snakes being used. This is fine. This makes sense, because they're all water animals. However, one scene alludes to MONKEYS. Aquatic MONKEYS. I get what the author was trying to do, in trying to put forth the idea of humans having captive intelligent animals such as primates. That would make sense if this book took place in the jungle. But it doesn't make sense in a marine-themed book. It seems jarring and slightly ridiculous and out of place.
     Another thing I didn't understand was: I get that they made the NeoCetes to feed the Reckoners and keep 150-ton animals from depleting the world's fish stocks. That makes sense. But, the problem is, the NeoCetes have to eat, too. If the NeoCetes eat fish, then won't they deplete the world's fish stocks? Or do they just keep making more genetically modified organisms to feed the other GMOs? As a biology nerd, I appreciated the effort to explain it but was still slightly skeptical.
     Finally, why expend all of these resources to build monsters when you could instead use... missiles? Or drones? Some explanation there would be cool.
     That aside, though, the monsters are cool. They do a lot of ship-destroying, and the laser-guided commands were one of the coolest parts of this book. 
     I also  loved the action and the romance and the fight scenes. The romance and the ship battles were the best, most exciting parts of this book. But the little details were sort of nagging at me occasionally. Also, the Swift-Cas romance is nice, but it seems a little strange when you consider that Swift held her captive on the ship in the first place. Maybe have a little more development before they go from hating each other into full-on cuddling? Just a thought.
     Finally, I'd like to remark on the ending. While it was nice to see Cas and Swift reunited, the ending left a bitter taste in my mouth, like an overripe banana. Throughout the whole story, it is implied that Swift hates the captain and wants nothing more than to escape with Cas. But, at the end, Cas is found enslaving herself once again to the murderous captain, and Swift appears downtrodden. 
     I feel like a better ending would have been one where the Captain gets shoved into the water by Swift and is eaten by Bao, and then Swift and Cas become co-captains of their new ship and sail the seas on their own terms, as the ship slowly sails off into the sunset. The current one leaves so many loose ends that it's sort of sloppy in my opinion.
     Also, I feel like it could've done without the fact that Swift killed Durga. Fabian Murphy could have done it when he visited that morning, and no one could have noticed. No, the author just had to ruin the relationship between Swift and Cas yet another time and also make for a much less satisfying ending.
     However, overall, despite the lackluster ending, the title and cover (which I'm getting to) and some minor details to be sorted out, it was still a really original idea executed nicely enough to ultimately win me over, despite its minor flaws.
Memorable or Forgettable: It was a really original book with a cool idea, but I feel like there were some aspects of the story that were taken from other books in its genres. still, it was original, memorable and interesting enough book to read.
Cover: I'm going to start of by saying I really, really didn't like the title of this book. At all. It's vague and only tangentially relates to the story; I don't think it was even said in the dialogue. Something like "Pirate's Reckoning" or "The Reckoners" or even "Monsters vs. Pirates" would have been far, far better than the current title. The current title is bland, generic, clunky, overly long, and contributes nothing to the book and doesn't hint at its content.
     I didn't really like the cover. Not even one bit. Sure, the model looks like Cassandra, Otatchi and all, but her facial expression looks bored and lifeless, as if she's watching paint dry instead of controlling a gigantic sea monster. 
     Moving on, the eye of the monster is depicted as far too large (Bao is estimated to be at around 150 tons, which is about 40 tons heavier than the most liberal estimates for the largest sauropod dinosaur, Amphicoelias). From this size estimate, Bao's eye and head should be a LOT smaller than what is depicted on the cover. Also, turtles have circular pupils. I know it's genetically modified, but still. The water looks a little unrealistic. And, I think I've already mentioned it, but the title is clunky and boring. 
     The book inside is all right, though, so this cover doesn't really do its insides justice.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags: fantasy / dystopian / adventure / romance / ya lit



A Madness So Discreet - YA Review by Claire W



Reader: Claire W.
Age: 14
Title: A Madness So Discreet
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pub Date: 10/06/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The plot of this book was a bit slower than I like, but still interesting the majority of the time and well planned out. The character development was truly great and the metaphors that went along with the main character were beautifully crafted. I did question how realistic one character of the book was. This character was a raging feminist and very public about it which I don't believe would have been accepted during this time period.
Memorable or Forgettable: The whole plot made the book memorable and how it was executed.
Cover: The cover was beautiful and related so so so well to the book. Every time I looked at the cover I would notice another detail that directly symbolized the book.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal
Annotation: Grace is living in an insane asylum, but she doesn't belong there. Grace is there to cover up a scandal caused by her powerful and political father. She just wants to escape and get her revenge.


tags: historical thriller / gothic mystery / ya lit



Sweet - YA Review by Evan W



Reader: Evan W.
Age: 13
Title: Sweet
Author: Emmy Laybourne
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pub Date: 06/02/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This book started out as a great idea, and just got really boring. I liked the idea that Solu was a weight-loss drug that started working almost too well, but as soon as everybody who took it started turning into a rampaging zombie type thing, it just got really boring. Again, I like the idea behind this book, it was just poorly executed. The plot wasn't very good, and is overused. For example, how many books are there where there are a few people left who have to escape a very dangerous place without being killed. It just isn't interesting. Also, the character development wasn't the best. It was just not a very good book overall.
Memorable or Forgettable: I didn't really think it was interesting, and that made it kind of forgettable. Also, the characters and the plot weren't very good, so that was something forgettable.
Cover: It kind of reflected the contents. The title was floating in the ocean like the ship in the book, and it was leaking blood. I didn't really get why everything was upside down, though.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 3Q - Readable
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal


tags: horror / romance / ya lit



Placebo Junkies - YA Review by Maude L



Reader: Maude L.
Age: 11
Title: Placebo Junkies
Author: J.C. Carleson
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 10/27/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: I liked this book because it shows a different view on the world. It also has a really interesting writing style. But the best part is a super unexpected twist at the end.
Memorable or Forgettable: The ending was completely surprising - I had no idea it was coming. It was also just a really interesting subject to write about.
Cover: The cover is very interesting because the words are spelled out on pill cases,so it really makes sense for the story.
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags: drama / mental illness / big pharmaceuticals / homelessness / ya lit



Hellhole - YA Review by William B



Reader: William B.
Age: 12
Title: Hellhole
Author: Gina Damico
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers
Pub Date: 01/06/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This book starts a bit slow and moves faster as it goes on. Characters develop and you learn more. Read carefully, the details can be layered. The chapters are very short but carry meaning.
Memorable or Forgettable: It is forgettable because it just doesn't stick with you. You will forget it if you don't read carefully.
Cover: It says take a chance, try me.
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 3Q - Readable
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal


tags:  horror / comedy / action / coming of age / ya lit



Seven Second Delay - YA Review by Caroline H


Reader: Caroline H.
Age: 12
Title: Seven Second Delay
Author: Tom Easton
Publisher: Holiday House
Pub Date: 02/27/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I usually don’t like post-apocalyptic books, but this was very likely one of the best books I’ve read. The character development was very smooth, and the plot was well-written, though not necessarily very original. It was funny in a grim, sarcastic way, and the dialogue wasn't especially cheesy.
Memorable or Forgettable: I loved that there was always a sense of real danger, even when the characters were perfectly safe. I also really liked the character development of the many different characters in the book. It was an interesting and suspenseful read, definitely memorable for me.
Cover: I really like the cover on this book. It was eye-catching and reflects the contents pretty well.
Age Range: 12 through 18 and up
Quality: 5Q - Hard to imagine a better book
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal
Additional Comments: I was kinda bummed that the evil Prime Minister got to stay in office and that he didn't get kicked out or assassinated or something like that. It would have made the ending happier, but the actual ending is much more realistic.


tags:  post-apocalyptic / dystopian / suspense / ya lit



Believarexic - YA Review by Ella O



Reader: Ella O.
Age: 14
Title: Believarexic
Author: J.J. Johnson
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Pub Date: 10/01/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: Jennifer is a sweet girl who has gotten very good at hiding her condition, so when she goes to her parents for help, they don't believe her but schedule an appointment anyway and they go and the doctor agrees that Jenny has a condition. She stays at a recovery place and really does things right for herself. She grows and it's beautiful. 
Memorable or Forgettable: Jennifer admitted she had a problem and she wanted to get help. She was doing things for herself and that was great.  She decided she wanted something and worked to get it. 
Cover: I thought the cover was simple but meaningful. The basic color is perfect for catching the eye and there's a cute design on the front that lets you know it's a heartfelt story. 
Age Range: 12 through 13
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal
Annotation: Jennifer is addicted to binging, purging, drinking. She wants to stop.  She wants people to see she needs help and, furthermore, to receive that help.  


tags:  eating disorders / recovery / ya lit



Illuminae - YA Review by Eli S-M


Reader: Eli S-M
Age: 16
Title: Illuminae
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub Date: 01/20/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I would recommend reading this book, if only to experience the strange format. The story is told in a series of memos, interview transcripts, emails, and security feed summaries. This gives the book several unique advantages- namely, its retention of suspense- you actually believe the characters might die- the interest created by the novel format (pun), and the unique ability to hold back detail that results in a twist at the story's end. However, the format also has the disadvantage of removing the reader from the action and the emotions of the characters.
Memorable or Forgettable: The most memorable quality of this book was its format and unique story line. The strange format, of course, made it instantly memorable, but the fact that the novel's plot charted a relatively new course made it memorable as well. Perhaps it was just the lens applied by the format, but I felt as though the story line was very unique, took twists I hadn't seen before, and didn't rely on too many tropes.
Cover: The cover did tempt me to pick the book up, but the giant explosion didn't reflect anything at all particularly well. The redacted document cutaways did hint at the novel's format.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags:  science fiction / dystopian / suspense / ya lit



This is Where it Ends - YA Review by Veronica K


Reader: Veronica K.
Age: 15
Title: This is Where it Ends
Author: Marieke Nijkamp
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub Date: 01/05/16
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I actually sort of liked the book. The dialogue felt real to the story, the plot was believable, and the characters were actually there, not just cardboard cutouts. I liked how each section was a different character telling the story because it helped explain who the people were. I'm not sure some of the characters would have acted as they acted in the book in real life, though. For example, there is a kid who escapes from a war zone as a child. I highly doubt he would be as calm and collected as he was the entire story if this actually happened. Also, for as small as they claimed the town to be, the police took a reeeeeaally long time to get to the school... Other than those things, this was a fairly good book stylistically.
Memorable or Forgettable: The plot is the most memorable. A lot of books these days would turn this into a secret plot to take over the world, but this one tells a story that could happen, and probably has happened. Not a lot of books these days tell a truthful story like that, with the depth this has anymore.
Cover: Honestly? The cover sucks. It might just be that I have no experience with the real world, but I have no idea where the things on the cover came from, or what they are. The cover was very confusing, and if I hadn't been told it was worth reading, I probably would have skipped it.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal


tags:  thriller / school shooting / drama / ya lit



Firefight - YA Review by William B


Reader: William B.
Age: 12
Title: Firefight
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pub Date: 01/06/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: Yes
Convince us to read the book: The author keeps you guessing and shocks you at every page turn. The characters develop more and more. It builds off of and is even more spontaneous than Steelheart.  Some dialogue is obsessively used and makes no sense. This book will keep you waiting until you can't anymore.
Memorable or Forgettable: It is memorable because of the writing style.
Cover: The cover is hard to miss. It screams, read me!
Age Range: 12 through 13
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal
Additional Comments: Read Steelheart first.
Annotation: Firefight starts with David and the Reckoners taking out Epics.  They realize they will have to kill another Epic that rules over a city. They then start on a journey that will provide more knowledge about the Epics.


tags:  science fiction / dystopian / superheroes / The Reckoners series / ya lit



Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... - YA Review by Tristan HB



Reader: Tristan HB
Age: 14
Title: Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my…
Author: Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pub Date: 09/08/15
Galley: No
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The characters were relatable and you couldn't help but root for Ike.
Memorable or Forgettable: This makes history fun and entertaining while throwing in a classic twist. This also seems real in the sense of the characters.
Cover: The cover made me want to read the book.
Age Range: 12 through 15
Quality: 3Q - Readable
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal


tags: comedy / middle school / ya lit



Violent Ends - YA Review by Sophie F



Reader: Sophie F.
Age: 14
Title: Violent Ends
Author: Shaun David Hutchinson
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pub Date: 09/01/15
Galley: No
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: This book is narrated by a different person each chapter. As interesting as this was, I was left with wanting more out of some characters and thinking "just shut up!' with others. I wish the narration would return to several more important characters.
Memorable or Forgettable: The content of this book is something you don't read about too much in teen fiction. More often you get a book solely about suicide and it's effect on people. However, this book talks about the effects of an actual shooting in which other people are killed. In a society where gun control is an ever growing issue, I think we need more books about gun issues and less about depressed, moody teenagers.
Cover: The title is what grabbed at me and the book cover helped. You can definitely tell what kind of book it is by looking at the cover.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 3Q - Readable
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags: tragedy / school shooting / multiple narrators / ya lit



The Detour - YA Review by Sam T



Reader: Sam T.
Age: 16
Title: The Detour
Author: S. A. Bodeen
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pub Date: 10/06/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The vivid scenes of Livvy being kidnapped and the scenes involving Flute Girl are nerve-wracking, terrifying, and tense. They are well-done and evoke a sense of fear quite well through the use of imagery and dialogue. 
     However, even though I felt that the scenes where she is imprisoned were terrifying, I don't think much of the rest of the book was really necessary and just doesn't seem to fit. Livvy's various memories don't really relate to the rest of the story, and the Rory subplot is completely unnecessary, contrived, and disappointing. 
     The entire last third of the book and some of her flashbacks could be removed and the book would be 100% better.  After she got rescued, I thought, "Why are there so many pages left? It should end right here!"
     Not only does the main character get kidnapped and get her life threatened multiple times, but she also ends up finding out that her book's ideas were stolen (which I find a little ridiculous and contrived, as you'd think that she'd remember doing something like that), and also finds out that her online boyfriend is really a creepy psychopath (What are the chances that she also happens to be imprisoned by the lady who is that boy's cousin and that the main character just happens to crash her car at the exact right spot?). 
     These events did not make for a good or satisfying ending. Sure, she meets a new nice guy who looks exactly like her old love and shares all of her interests (again, what are the chances of that?), but her life is still fundamentally ruined by this crazy lady and her crazy kid (the former of which was somewhat justified in her anger, because the main character's stealing of her ideas and general entitlement does make Livvy just a little bit annoying). 
Memorable or Forgettable: It didn't really seem to do a ton of original things with the kidnapped-by-a-crazy-person-and-locked-in-their-basement genre, although it certainly tried to convince the reader that it did by using predictable plot twists.
Cover: It was a little on the drab side, although the cover reflected the book's contents.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 2Q - Needs more work
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags: suspense / thriller / ya lit



Awake - YA Review by Ella O



Reader: Ella O.
Age: 14
Title: Awake
Author: Natasha Preston 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub Date: 08/04/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I really liked the character development of someone other than the main character. Noah's journey down the path of coming to terms with the fact that religion is religion and knowing when enough is enough. 
Memorable or Forgettable: Apart from the hidden craziness that came with the "next life" process I really liked the way Noah's culture lived off the land and everyone helps out and lives together. It's a healthy lifestyle and I personally would like to try that sometime. 
Cover: I'm not super sure how the cover fits in with the story. It's probably a metaphor for how Scarlett feels caged by something bigger than she thinks. But it works and it's eye catching so keep it. 
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags: thriller / cult / ya lit



Monkey Wars - YA Review by Sam T



Reader: Sam T.
Age: 16
Title: Monkey Wars
Author: Richard Kurti
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub Date: 01/06/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I really liked many of the characters, and much of it really did feel believable. 
     Of course, my disbelief wasn't always suspended, especially because there were some things that were unrealistic - such as a romance between two different genera of monkey and tool use way beyond what monkeys can actually do - and other times when the symbolism seemed a little heavy-handed (making Tyrell and his dictatorship like Hitler or North Korea etc., having a rigged democratic monkey election...). 
     Although at times this seemed to be more of a parable about people than a novel about monkeys, it still was interesting enough to read and was relatively enjoyable.
Memorable or Forgettable: Although highly similar to other talking, fighting animals books - such as the famous Warriors series and the book that started the genre, Watership Down - it still had enough differences to be more or less memorable enough in its own right, even at points when the similarities between the aforementioned books were more obvious.
Cover: Yeah, the contrast was interesting and made it stand out. It seemed to be a pretty good representation of the book.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal


tags: fable / parable / allegory / facism / political corruption / ya lit



The Oathbreaker's Shadow - YA Review by Ruby F



Reader: Ruby F.
Age: 15
Title: The Oathbreaker's Shadow
Author: Amy McCulloch
Publisher: Flux
Pub Date: 02/08/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The Oathbreaker's Shadow was good, but predictable. There were a few typos, which didn't concern me particularly but threw me off a little bit as I was reading. In the two main characters, there was development in only one of them and even that one character didn't have as much development as I'd like. The plot is very refreshing and not cliched, which is the biggest reason for my approval of the book. I'd consider the book mediocre but enjoyable in spite of it. 
Memorable or Forgettable: I enjoyed the culture and time period of the book. I think it needs some fine tuning but its plot is solid and clearly there's been a lot of thought in the society that the author has created in the story. 
Cover: The cover reflected the book's contents EXCELLENTLY!!!!!!! I thought the cover looked interesting and unique and it portrayed the book very accurately. 
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 3Q - Readable
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags: fantasy / magic / ya lit



Every Last Word - YA Review by Caroline H



Reader: Caroline H.
Age: 12
Title: Every Last Word
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Publisher: Hyperion
Pub Date: 06/16/15
Galley: No
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The characters are defined very well in this story and the plot moves along very smoothly. Some of the characters are a bit overused and are a little stereotypical. 
Memorable or Forgettable: This book was memorable for me because it dealt with real life problems like OCD, mental illness, depression, etc., and it’s written very well. I felt like I could relate to the different people in the story.
Cover: The cover is very simple and it does relate to the book, but not until about halfway through the story. I think the designer needs to choose a different color than pink for the title, as it seems very feminine and might make male readers shy away from it.
Age Range: 12 through 17
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal
Additional Comments: The plot is a little all over the place at the beginning and I had to read it over again after I had finished the book for it to make sense. However, this is a book that is not a waste of time to read.


tags: romance / coming of age / OCD / ya lit



Exquisite Corpse - YA Review by Ella O



Reader: Ella O.
Age: 14
Title: Exquisite Corpse
Author: Pènèlope Bagieu
Publisher: First Second
Pub Date: 05/05/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: An interesting read. The main character keeps a crappy job and lives with a crappy boyfriend. She wants more from life but isn't always wise on how to get there. I thought that the way Zoe learns from her mistakes on people was good. 
Memorable or Forgettable: Again, Zoe and her adventures are fun and there was some character development but not much. She just moves from one person to the next and maybe she should take time for herself. Just thoughts. 
Cover: I love graphic novels so that's what made me snatch this up. However the cover art is interesting and the pops of red against the layers of blue is quite pretty. 
Age Range: 14 through 15
Quality: 3Q - Readable
Popularity: 3P - Some teen appeal


tags: graphic novel / comedy / ya lit



The Rules - YA Review by Dana F



Reader: Dana F.
Age: 14
Title: The Rules
Author: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Pub Date: 06/23/15
Galley: No
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: The Rules has a wide cast of narrators, each with their own rules they live by. The motives and actions of the characters are very well laid out within the plot of this book. The development of the characters didn't really happen, but that wasn't the point of the book. Speaking of the plot, this was a great horror/thriller. I couldn't figure out who the murderer was until the end of the book. 
Memorable or Forgettable: I don't really read that many horror or mystery novels, so this was a new experience for me. It was a  little gory for my taste, but it would make a great movie. Like I said, the motives of the characters were very well thought out, but as most of them died at various points in the book, there wasn't much development. The one thing I really didn't think was necessary was the prologue, which just made me confused as it didn't stay consistent with the rest of the book.
Cover: I liked this cover, it reflected the mystery of the book. It vaguely reflected the contents.
Age Range: 14 through 18 and up
Quality: 4Q - Better than most
Popularity: 4P - Broad general teen appeal


tags: thriller / suspense / ya lit



Lizard Radio - YA Review by Sam T



Reader: Sam T.
Age: 16
Title: Lizard Radio
Author: Pat Schmatz
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pub Date: 09/08/15
Galley: Yes
Top 25: No
Convince us to read the book: I hated this book; in fact, it was one of the worst things I have ever had the displeasure of reading. 
     Almost every other word is a complete nonsense word or phrase, like "jazzy", "sweetbits", "Cleezies", "Mealio", "benders", "samers", "Pieville", "vape", "Quint", "lands smack in my biz", "kickshaw", "fikety-fike", "quiet-quiet", "brainiola", "burby", "Blight", "frods", and countless others I didn't have time to mention. 
     Every time one of these nonsense words appear little or no explanation is given to their meaning. Often the book also uses bizarre sentence structure, such as using phrases like "a big happy", among others. 
     This book reads like an inebriated baby chimpanzee that is well versed in nonexistent 90s hip-hop lingo messed around on Google Translate.
     The story (if you can call it one) concerns a teenager dropped into a camp where the campers grow vegetables, take weird drugs, pray, and have sex. 
     The government, called the bizarre name of "SayFree Gov", makes kids decide their gender at age ten and then not only changes it for them but then makes them take classes on how to be that gender. There's also something called "The Blight" and "vaping". NOTHING IS EXPLAINED.
     This gender-bending idea is unrealistic not only because it seems to be a completely useless allocation of resources and effort, but also, considering that transgendered people make up a tiny fraction of the population, it doesn't make sense to make the other 99% of people go through this arduous process.
     There's also something about reptilian aliens, which seems like something pulled straight out of either the craziest conspiracy forum on the Internet or a bad 50s B-movie.  
     This book is all over the place. It is extremely difficult to read (and this is coming from someone who's read some postmodernist literary theory and technical scientific documents!). The only part of it I actually enjoyed was writing this review. I only made it to about chapter four or five before the comedic value had grown old.
Memorable or Forgettable: This book is memorable only because of the level of my dislike for it. This book makes me angry.
Cover: If you removed the silhouette of the person, the words "Lizard Radio", and the pages in between the front and back covers, it would be an OK cover.
Age Range: 14 through 17
Quality: 1Q - How did it get published?
Popularity: 1P - Yech!  Forced to read it
Additional Comments: There is a place for bizarre, surrealist contemporary "art", but the YA genre is not that place. This book was a confusing slurry of made-up words, strange sentence structure, and overall incomprehensible plot. On an A to F scale, it gets an F minus.


tags: science fiction / dystopian / coming of age / ya lit