Between Writing Reading

 Matched , by Ally Condy For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. -Plot summary borrowed from Amazon Both The Giver and City of Ember are more for the tween set, but now we're getting to the truly YA dystopias. I picked up Matched on the recommendation of a co-worker (and, ok, because of the beautiful cover design!) and was not disappointed. This is mostly an intellectual adventure story- no breaking into governm...

The City of Ember , by Jeanne DuPrau It is always night in the city of Ember. But there is no moon, no stars. The only light during the regular twelve hours of "day" comes from floodlamps that cast a yellowish glow over the streets of the city. Beyond are the pitch-black Unknown Regions, which no one has ever explored because an understanding of fire and electricity has been lost, and with it the idea of a Moveable Light. "Besides," they tell each other, "there is nowhere but here" Among the many other things the people of Ember have forgotten is their past and a direction for their future. For 250 years they have lived pleasantly, because there has been plenty of everything in the vast storerooms. But now there are more and more empty shelves--and more and more times when the lights flicker and go out, leaving them in terrifying blackness for long minutes. What will happen when the generator finally fails? Twelve-year-old Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet see...

The Giver , by Lois Lowry One of the overwhelmingly popular genres of YA fiction at the moment is dystopian. Having loved classics like 1984 , Brave New World and Watership Down (hey, anthropomorphic allegories count! Just look at Animal Farm ), I thought I'd give some more a try. Somehow, I'd missed out on this one during school and felt that, as one of the classic and original YA dystopias, I needed to give it a shot. In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. -Plot summary borrowed from Amazon I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed by this book. I understand that it is intended for a much younger reader than myself. Still, it seemed incredibly simplistic to me. ...

Princess Rose and her sisters Lily, Jonquil, Hyacinth, Violet, Daisy, Poppy, Iris, Lilac, Orchid, Pansy, and Petunia are trapped in a curse. Every third night, they have to dance at the Midnight Ball with the twelve sons of the King Under Stone, who lives in a realm below the earth. To get there, they descend a staircase hidden beneath a carpet in their room, walk through a silver and pearl gate and a forest of silver trees, and ride golden boats across a lake of shadows. They have tried to tell others of their secret, but the curse prevents them from speaking of it. Galen Werner is a soldier who is returning from the Westfalin-Analousia war. On his way to the city of Bruch to live with his mother's sister Liesel Orm, Galen meets an old woman. After he shares his food with her, the woman gives him white and black yarn and an invisibility cloak, saying that he would have to use them when "He" tries to get to the surface. When Galen meets Rose, she knows that he can try to ...

Ash is a teenage girl whose loving father has died, leaving her alone with her cruel and violent stepmother. Ash's sole source of comfort is reading fairy tales by the dying light of the fire in her room each night. Ash dreams that, one day, fairies might find her and spirit her away to their world where all her wishes will come true. One night, the mysterious and sinister fairy prince Sidhean finds Ash and begins to prepare her to enter fairyland. But shortly thereafter, Ash meets Kaisa—a noblewoman and the King's Huntress. Ash and Kaisa not only form an immediate and deep friendship, but Ash begins to fall in love with the beautiful, strong woman. Ash's feelings seem be reciprocated but Sidhean returns to claim what he says is rightfully his due, and a battle for Ash's body and soul will push Ash to the brink. -Plot summary borrowed from Amazon I really loved this book. As a fairytale retelling it was in some ways only loosely based on the original- despite the frame...