July 4-10, 2011
Book 1: Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Bibliography:
Cashore, K. (2008). Graceling. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Summary:
Katsa was a killer. She could fight an army of men and come out untouched. That was her gift - as a graceling. When she was working on recovering a kidnapped man, she came across a cloaked gentleman that guessed what she was but wasn't afraid of her, but she knocked him out. At the castle, she works for her uncle Randa as a person who makes people pay for their wrong-doings - to cause pain. Katsa doesn't want to hurt people anymore. When she is sent to hurt a King for not choosing to send one of his daughters off to marry, she made the decision to not follow through with her orders. In her plan she clears Oll and Giddon from any responsibility and therefore saves them from the wrath of King Randa. Upon return, Po, the man she met while making the rescue provides her with information about his graceling gift. He can feel people's thoughts about him. He is leaving to find out more information about the people who kidnapped his grandfather. Randa sends for Katsa and she is sent before the King who intends to kill her for not implementing his plan. She gains control of her anger and instead of killing all the guards, like she is capable of, she tells the king exactly how the scene will play out of he doesn't let her go free. Step by step details of how he will kill each row of guards, eventually ending up with him. She tells him that she will spare them all if she will not be followed when she leaves the castle, forever. She decides to leave with Po in his pursuit of information. They learn about each other's gift and have several adventures along the way. Eventually, Katsa and Po find his cousin, Bitterblue and rescue her from some bad men, but PO gets injured and has to hide while Katsa and Bitterblue run for safety. Katsa finds her way to Po's family and they are under the spell of the men that had held Bitterblue prisoner. Katsa kills the man and the family takes Bitterblue back to her land where she is now the child queen. Katsa returns to find Po who has been steadily losing his sight since he was injured. He is struggling to find a use for himself now thathe is blind but slowly learns that his sense are gaining strength and Po decides he is heading home to his family. Katsa is leaving to check on Bitterblue and her kingdom and will meet up with Po.
My Impression:
This was a fun book to read. There was adventure, some magic, pirates, fighting and about anything else you could want in a fantasy story. The concept of becoming a graceling and having a gift was intriguing to me. The relationship that formed during their journey between Po and Katsa was sweet and somewhat anticipated but none the less fun to witness. While they make a great team, they are both have very strong personalities and the reader would believe that they would easily accomplish their goals individually, if necessary. The journey Katsa took to protect Bitterblue demonstrated perseverance and loyalty to get her safely to their destination. The worry that Katsa demonstrated for Po was a preview to their closeness nad a change in their relationship which is sure to come.
Reviews:
1. Booklist
Feared as a killer since her childhood, Lady Katsa uses her unusual Grace (superhuman gift) in the service of her uncle, King Randa. She is beginning to rebel against his orders to kill or maim his more disloyal subjects when her path crosses that of Po. A young foreign prince with a mysterious Grace as well as wisdom beyond his years, Po convinces Katsa that she can stand up to the brutal king and put her gift to better uses. When Katsa joins Po on a quest, she throws herself headlong into a rescue mission and finds romance, self-knowledge, and justice along the way. Although many fantasy writers create intriguing alternate worlds and worthy adventures, as Cashore does in this well-imagined novel, she also offers believable characters with enough depth, subtlety, and experience to satisfy older readers. Katsa is a heroine who can physically overpower most men she meets, yet her strength is not achieved by becoming manlike. She may care little for fine clothes, but from her first kill to her first experience of lovemaking, Katsa’s womanhood is integral to her character. An impressive first novel, this well-crafted and rewarding fantasy. October 1, 2008
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2. School Library Journal
Up-In this debut fantasy novel, Cashore treats readers to compelling and eminently likable characters and a story that draws them in from the first paragraph. In Katsa's world, the "Craced," those gifted in a particular way, are marked by eyes that are different colors, Katsa's Crace is that she is a gifted fighter, and, as such, she is virtually invincible. She is in the service of her tyrannical uncle, king of one of the seven kingdoms, and she is forced to torture people for infractions against him. She has secretly formed the Council, which acts in the service of justice and fairness for those who have been accused and abused. Readers meet her as she is rescuing the father of the Lienid king, who has been abducted. The reasons for his capture are part of a tightening plot that Katsa unravels and resolves, with the help of Prince Po, the captive's grandson. He has his own particular Crace, and he becomes Katsa's lover and partner in what becomes a mortally dangerous mission, Cashore's style is exemplary: while each detail helps to paint a picture, the description is always in the service of the story, always helping readers to a greater understanding of what is happening and why. This is gorgeous storytelling: exciting, stirring, and accessible. Fantasy and romance readers will be thrilled,-Sue Ciffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City, October 2008
Suggestion for Use:
This book would be a good demonstration of perseverance, friendship, being different from others and determination. The story would be an asset to the classroom and would be easy to incorporate into a classroom reading list. The story provides discussion points that would give students the opportunity to elaborate and assess the elements of the story.
Citations:
Giffard, S. (2008). [Review of the book Graceling by K. Cashore]. School Library Journal, 54(10), 140. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2104/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5839463e-1cfd-4182-b0e7-71404461a7bd%40sessionmgr114&vid=480&hid=12
Phelan, C. (2008). [Review of the book Graceling by K. Cashore]. Booklist, 105(3), 42. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2104/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5839463e-1cfd-4182-b0e7-71404461a7bd%40sessionmgr114&vid=85&hid=24
Book 2: Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Bibliography:
Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind. New York: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers.
Summary:
Connor is sixteen and just found out that his parents signed for him to be unwound. He leaves home thinking he has a friend to runaway with, but she will not leave her family. Risa is an orphan who has lived her life in a home for unwanted kids. Due to budget cuts, she is being sent to be unwound. Lev has known his whole life, since he has been tithed, that he will be unwound. The three of them end up together and have to fight to keep themselves from being found. After ending up in a high school, the kids are sent by Hannah, a teacher, to see Sonia. She takes them in and hides them in her basement with some other unwinds and they wait to be smuggled to a safe house. They meet up with other kids and are transported in crates on an airplane to a site in Arizona that houses old, retired planes - called the graveyard. There they encounter the General who is in charge of about 400 kids, all of whom are trying not to be found. They have created somewhat of a society there and find jobs to keep them busy. Some trouble begins with a group of the kids trying to rebel and the general seeks out Connor to help be eyes and ears for him. Trouble begins and the guy who pilots the helicopter is killed and the General has a heart attack. While trying to get help for the General, Connor, Risa and Roland get caught by the Juvey Police and are sent to an unwind facility. There they meet up with Lev, whom they haven't seen in a while. Roland gets sent to be unwound and Connor is next. When Lev finds out, he causes a distraction and is able to rescue Connor from the unwound room. In the rubble, they find Risa who has been paralyzed from the waist down. Connor wakes up in the hospital with his arm gone and Roland's arm in its place. He knows, from the shark tattoo on the forearm. Risa chooses not to have her spine fixed from parts from an unwound. Lev is arrested for causing the explosion and is being kept at the police station. His older brother says that he can live with him, since his parents won't take him back home. Risa and Connor go back to the graveyard to help keep the kids there safe, while they plan to make a little bit of trouble here and there.
My Impression:
I thought this book was awesome. It was totally unlike anything that I have read before. Reading through Roland's procedure as he was unwound had my stomach in knots and I cried. I cheered when Lev set off the explosives to save Connor and was saddened by Risa being paralyzed. The book ended on a high with Connor and Risa returning to the graveyard to help the others and to start some change in the unwind mindset of the public. I was also happy to see the Lev's big brother wanted to take custody of him after his parents disowned him. I would highly recommend this book. It will make you look into your soul and thinks about things you have never thought of before.
Reviews:
1. Booklist
Following in the footsteps of Jonathan Swift, Shusterman uncorks a Modest Proposal of his
own to solve a Pro-Life/Pro-Choice dilemma.Set in a future in which abortions are outlawed
but parents have the option of signing over their 13- to 17-year-olds to be used as
organ donors, the tale focuses on 16-year-old Connor, who falls in with other prospective
Unwinds and finds a temporary refuge (thanks to a clandestine organization with its own peculiar
agenda) before being captured and sent to Happy Jack Harvest Camp. Though laced
with intrigue, betrayals, and narrow squeaks, the story is propelled less by the plot (which
is largely a series of long set pieces) than by an ingeniously developed cast and premise. But
even readers who gravitate more to plot-driven fiction will find this present-tense page-turner
thrilling, though it’s guaranteed to leave some feeling decidedly queasy—despite the (improbable) happy ending. —John Peters
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2. School Library Journal
An unsettling futuristic novel set after the Second Civil War. Connor Lassiter, age 16, runs away from his suburban Ohio home after discovering that his parents have, scheduled his "unwinding." His body parts will go to other people who need them. He will be both terminated and "technically" kept alive, only in a separated state. The constitutional amendments known as "The Bill of Life" permit parents to choose "retroactive" abortion for children between the ages of 13 and 18. Connor meets another Unwind, Risa, and they kidnap Lev, who is a Tithe (the 10th child born to a single family with the express purpose of being unwound). Their escape and
survival stories interweave as they struggle to avoid harvest camps. Luckily, an underground
network is helping Unwinds escape to safety. There is evenhanded, thoughtful treatment of many issues, including when life starts and stops, consciousness, religion, free will, law, trust and betrayal, suicide bombers, and hope. Initially, the premise of parents dismantling their children is hard to accept; however, readers are quickly drawn into the story', which is told in a gripping, omniscient voice. Characters live and breathe; they are fully realized and complex, sometimes making wrenchingly difficult decisions. This is a thought-provoking, well-paced read that will appeal widely, especially to readers who enjoy Scott Westerfeld's Uglies (2005), Prettie's
(2005), and Specials (2006, all S & S).- Amy /. Ghow, New York Public Library
Suggestion for Use:
This book covers several great conversation topics. The whole idea of using teenagers for their body parts is thought provoking enough, but add to that that disease and injury would be almost eliminated because the injured or disease damaged parts could be replaced by healthy ones provided by unwounds. The concept of agreeing to the unwind process because of two arguing sides not compromising is another conversation starter to open eyes to the dramatic decisions that people could make just so they don't have to bend in their ideas. This book with preteen and teenagers who are in the age range of the unwounds is sure to start a deep conversation of right and wrong. I would highly recommend this book for all upper middle and high school readers.
Citations:
Chow, A. J. (2008). [Review of the book Unwind by N. Shusterman]. School Library Journal, 54(1), 126. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2104/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5839463e-1cfd-4182-b0e7-71404461a7bd%40sessionmgr114&vid=510&hid=12
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