The world has changed since all the countries rebelled against one another in an all out battle to the end. Bombs dropped on major cities in the United States have rendered many of the animals extinct or mutated. The ground is infertile, and plants struggle to produce anything edible. In the aftermath of the devastation, people are trying to rebuild. The old-world city of Wichita is transformed into Tosu City, the hub of the country where many of the governmental choices are made, and the future leaders are primed after they undergo “The Testing”. There are a multitude of counties/colonies surrounding this main hub, where some previous students of the University (those who pass “The Testing” are allowed to go to school there and learn ways to fix and revitalize the country) have families and hope to send their own children to become the future leaders. Malencia is one of these students. All her life, she’s wanted to go for The Testing and prove her worth among the best and brightest. There haven’t been any candidates chosen from their colony of Five Lakes in almost a decade, but she hopes she will be “the one”. Even though it’s kind of obvious that’s what is going to happen, “Surprise!”, Malencia, as well as three others, are chosen and whisked off to the city. But before they go, there are quick words of doom and warning from her father, a previous University student. He warns her not to trust anyone, and to prepare to survive some pretty traumatic and freaky stuff. Things that will more than likely prompt her to have nightmares like the ones he still has to this day.
She makes it to the city, and launches into the Testing. Betrayal, dishonesty, manipulation, death, suicide, murder, disappearances, subterfuge, and more occur within days, and continue to mount in severity up until the last stage of the test, where they throw these kids into the ruins of Chicago and tell them to make their way back to Tosu on their own. It is a game of survival, wits, and endurance that many of them face, and not all of them can win. If they pass this test, then they’ll make it to the University. Will Malencia make it?
I really, really, really got into this book. It seems like over the last few weeks I’ve been kind of dredging through the last few books I read. I mean, I’ll enjoy them mostly, but they just drag. This one was interesting to me, and picked up almost immediately. It had many of the same qualities as a Hunger Games type setting…more or less tranquil, with undertones of something more dangerous going on in the background. While there isn’t the immediate threat of death due to rebellion, its more like the colonies are in a fragile state, and don’t want to revert back to the previous way of life that led to the world war. And then The Testing begins. This brings in more of the survival, kill or be killed kind of attitude, and the moral high ground the protagonist finds herself on. Malencia, or Cia, wants to do things the “right” way, and not succumb to the desperation or brutality some of the other “future leaders” rely on. Her quick intellect and intuition guide her through the difficult tests, but ultimately putting her trust in others helps her meet the end goal. I liked the quick pace, and the way the reader can discover things about the facilities, students, and testing officials as Cia discovers them. There isn’t any of the background insight into what is going on with other characters or behind-the-scenes. This helps keep the mystery alive, and allow the reader to ponder the possible outcome along with Cia. While there was a lot of similar characteristics to dystopian stories like the Hunger Games, thank goodness they didn’t bring in a love triangle. Cia only loves one person, more or less, but the story line brought in the element of trust, and how far she would put her trust in Tomas. But also like the Hunger Games, the officials are always listening, always watching, and this knowledge helps Cia “play the game” and survive.
Despite all the similarities to some other dystopian novels/trilogies, I like the premise, and the higher dependence on knowledge and skill they place on the characters. If, say, the world did come to a crashing halt, I would love to imagine that we would band together and put a serious dependence on knowledge, learning, and learning skills to fix the world. But, you know, without all the killing and manipulation for a test. Just saying.
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In Real Life was a new take on gaming (as far as readers go), and portrayed gaming as many girls see it when first introduced. An alluring and mystical place, where you can any person you want to be, not necessarily tied to who you are in “real life”. It can show you, deep down, who you really are…bringing out your best (or worst) traits. In Real Life shows how a teenage girl can become enthralled with a fantasy land, but still stand up for what she knows is right. This graphic novel helps show that there is more than just suburban Americans playing these type of games, and the struggles that some in other countries might face. I like how Anda is a simple girl, timid even, but becomes this ravishing and confident warrior in the game. The game, and the friends she finds within, help break her out of her shell, and give her a similar personality on the outside that she discovers during game play.
This book, a compilation of short stories inspired by the prolific Grimm fairy tales, explores lives of traditional characters in a variety of situations. Whether in the future, in alternate realities, or just re-imagined by talented writers of youth literature, these classic and creepy tales are fantastic. The authors include: Ellen Hopkins, Amanda Hocking, Julie Kagawa, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Kimberly Derting, Myra McEntire, Malinda Lo, Sarah Rees-Brennan, Jackson Pearce, Christine Johnson, Jeri Smith Ready, Shaun David Hutchinson, Saundra Mitchell, Sonia Gensler, Tessa Gratton, and Jon Skrovan.
Flippin' pages and takin' names 
