The Most Dominant Hound

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks has some elements that would interest almost any teenager. Some of these appealing things include a long lasting tradition of a secret society, funny school pranks, and even a love story. Although these topics are usually quite popular in young adult literature, E. Lockhart delivers them from a difference perspective.

Frankie, a sophomore girl at Alabaster, was a pretty average girl in the beginning of the novel. Her sister Zada was well-liked, and showed her the ropes her freshman year. Now that sophomore year started she had some nice, close friends, but none of the "popular" kids even know she exists. This all changes when she catches the eye of most popular boy in school, Matthew Livingston, and he makes her his girlfriend.

Frankie is constantly struggling with the fact that she loves her new life, yet doesn't want to be considered "Matthew's girlfriend." One event that occurs in the book is Matthew gives his favorite T-shirt to Frankie, something that most girls would just be happy about. Instead, Frankie can't help but to analyze it whether or not he is just trying to show "ownership" over her to the rest of the school since everyone knows it was his shirt.

Frankie's mind plays tricks on her throughout the story. She learns of her boyfriends existence in a secret society and it drives her mad he won't include her. She later comes up with some brilliant schemes, but eventually things get out of hand. This novel has suspense, and action, and is a easy read. Teenage girls across the nation should make sure to grab a copy and start reading it ASAP!

Prince Octavian

In The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party it is quickly clear to the reader that Prince Octavian is not your average prince. Last I checked not every Prince has his fecal matter weighed and recorded. Yet Octavian lives in a world where he gets to experience many of life's finer things. He is giving a Classical education and becomes an expert at playing the violin. Although certain things about Mr. Gitney and the Novanglian College of Lucidity do puzzle him, including the numerical system of representation, for the most part Octavian is living a worry free life.

When Octavian grows older, however, his "blindfold" is taking off and he discovers that both his mother and he are being held captive. He can finally see his world for the way that it truly is. They are African and the Novanglian College of Lucidity actually performing an experiment to discover whether or not, given the same opportunity, Africans can succeed the same way that Europeans can.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party is a powerful story as well as an interesting and creative way to go about writing about the Revolutionary War time period.

Let the Hunger Games Begin!

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a piece of dystopian literature where the future has turned horribly wrong. Instead of everything being really advanced and new, life is how it used to be back before technological advances bettered our style of living. Life in District 12 is difficult. After Katniss lost her father to a mining accident, her mother was distraught by grief and Katniss was forced to step up and provide for the family. She learned how to hunt and trade for basic needs. Things take a drastic turn when Katniss volunteers to participate in "The Hunger Games" in order to spare her sister. The games consist of 24 children between the age of 12 and 18 fighting to the death while the rest of the population watches for entertainment. Katniss has learned how to hunt and kill for food, but now she knows she is depending on these skills now in order to survive.

This dystopian novel raises a lot of questions. First, could human beings mess up so horribly that the this world actually becomes a reality? These Hunger Games are comparable with all the reality TV shows out there these days. People tend to watch others go through some pretty awful experiences on these shows, including lies, backstabbing, and betrayal. Could a show where people fight to the death be that far off?

One theme that is evident in The Hunger Games is, "Should one go along with some thing just because it's "The Law?" Where is the point where people will start rebelling against governmental control? Katniss rebels in her own way, but most just go along with everything. There tends to be a lot of brainwashing in this story, with a majority of the population believing that the Hunger Games is a big spectacle, a big sporting event, even though it is clearly morally wrong to watch young children try to kill each other in any way possible.

The Hunger Games by Susan Collins will keep you reading with excitement and will leave begging for more!