Possession by Elana Johnson

Possession by Elana Johnson

     Possession by Elana Johnson is a book about choices. Violet lives in a world of strict regulation. You're either a Goodie or a Baddie. Things like not locking your door, not wearing long sleeves or hats, being out after dark, touching the opposite sex (even platonically) is against the rules. Vi is a Goodie with a penchant for rule breaking. In an attempt to spend time with the boy she has grown up with and loves she is caught and taken to prison. There she meets Jag a bad boy who makes a play for her heart. She now lives her life as an outlaw trying to get to the mythical place where the strictures of her society do not touch.  On her journey, Violet will lose friends, make friends, discover secrets meant to be kept hidden, and question everything she has ever known.

     I was really excited to read this book. I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover. It's also in the genre I'm currently interested in, the plot had twists that were new to me, and has romance (I can't resist love triangles). Possession did not live up to my expectations. The premise was good, but the reader is thrown into a technologically advanced world without any understanding of what is what. It was slightly confusing. It also did not "flow" as smoothly as I would have liked. I had a hard time distinguishing who was who, who betrayed who, and who was lying or telling the truth. At points I found myself having to go back a page of so to try and reread to better understand everything. It wasn’t that bad though. If you are looking for a dystopian novel and have read all the other ones go ahead and pick this one up. If you do read it I have to admit, the end was pretty awesome. I give this book a 3 STAR rating.

***Possession Extras***

Possession by Elana Johnson has approximately 416 pages and was published on June 7, 2011 by Simon Pulse.

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

     Imagine waking up in the same place you went to sleep, but 62 years in the future. Everyone you ever knew and everyone you ever loved are dead. The world you knew is gone replaced by people who never knew you even existed. You have missed technological advances, outbreaks of the plague, and famine. This sounds like the stuff nightmares are made of, but it’s not. This is the world that Rosalinda Fitzroy awakens to. She finds herself the heir to an intergalactic planetary empire. She will have to learn what it’s like to live all over again. She has to learn to connect to people, something she has never had the chance to do. She finds these connections in Bren the boy who discovered her and Otto the boy her company made. As she tries to adjust to this new world she will discover devastating secrets a century old while trying to stay ahead of the monster set on killing her.

     A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan is a book that I very much enjoyed. This isn’t a book that grips you right away. A Long Long Sleep is much more subtle than that. It lulls you in with a beautiful gentility that creeps through you. I was slowly, but completely drawn into this new world. Rose’s life and feelings introduce a whole new heartbreak I had never thought imaginable. Rose’s character progression in the story is one that I admire. The parallels to the tale of Sleeping Beauty were done just right. There are so many retellings of fairy tales these days, but A Long Long Sleep is different. There is a subtle amount of similarities while maintaining its own unique story. The characters were beautiful and this book was beautiful. I give this book a 4 ½ STAR rating.

***A Long Long Sleep Extras***

A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan has approximately 352 pages and was published on August 9, 2011 by Candlewick Press. From my point of view this looks to be the start of a series.

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky is set in a futuristic America where everything is done on computers. The universe has gone digital walks along the beach, hiking, dates, tutoring, and most importantly school. The outside world is unknown and scary to most...why would you want to be unplugged? Rebellious Madeline's father is the creator of DS, the digital school that provides safety and equality to all through education. This is Madeline's life, but when she meets face to face with a boy she met on the internet he introduces her to the life that she has been missing. Maybe this new technlogically enhanced world isn't keeping everyone safe, but slowly taking everything away that makes us human.

I really enjoyed Awaken and it really hit home. Madeline was easy to relate to despite living in such a different place. With the technological advancements of today this type of future isn't that hard to imagine. We shop online, date online, go to school online, use video games as exercise aids. There seems to be little difference.This book makes you think of all that would be missed and the little things that we take for granted: cars, trees, sports, books, grass, fire, sunsets, salty beach air, being face to face with friends, and the touch of another human. This book was amazing and all who are growing up in this digital age should read it.