The Testing

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing is the first book in a planned trilogy, and it is another book in my favorite genre: science fiction/dystopian society.  The country has been torn about by seven stages of war, including battles against the Earth itself.  They have begun to rebuild, but the world is no longer full of bountiful resources.  To ensure the future of society, The Testing was created.  The top students across the nation are brought to the capital to go through a strenuous test to determine the people best suited to lead the country.  Cia Vale is one of the lucky few chosen, but she quickly discovers that failing the tests may result in her death.

This book is definitely going to draw comparisons to The Hunger Games.  In fact, one section of testing is purely surviving the conditions and your fellow candidates, making it feel like it could be the 76th annual Hunger Games.  The author walks a fine line of writing in a very popular genre with originality and coming across as another The Hunger Games wannabe.  I was able to enjoy the story, not because it was the most original thing I've read recently, but because it was good storytelling.  The more I think about it, the more similarities I see between Cia and Katniss, but the story itself was engaging and I know I'll finish out the series.  I'll recommend this one to my students, though I'd be interested to see if the boys enjoy this female protagonist the same way they have others in the genre.

Ender's Game

I decided it would be fitting to end my summer by reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.  I have always heard mixed reviews; some people swear it is the quintessential young adult science fiction novel, and others deem it boring.  After reading it, I can see both sides.

Ender is a young boy who is brought to battle school due to his extreme genius and potential to be a war commander.  His entire life is manipulated by the government to turn him into the person they want him to be, so he can fight in the war against the "buggers."  The first half of the story was very engaging and kept me up reading.  The second half started to drag, and I can see why some of my students in the past have lost interest.  The ending is worth continuing to read, but be warned most of the real "action" is in the first part of the story.

The book was definitely published ahead of its time; I understand why there is a new push now to bring it back to forefront.  Like all good futuristic science fiction novels, the author provides a picture of what our futures could look like and gives a subtle warning about our lifestyle.  The movie version is scheduled to be released November 1st, and I am interested enough in the story to see it.

From Print to the Big Screen

There are so many movies that have come out recently (or are due to come out soon) based on young adult novels.  The Hunger Games was one of the best adaptations I've ever experienced; it stayed true to the heart of the story while making the changes necessary to create an interesting film.  I was such a Harry Potter nerd when the first few movies came out I couldn't help but pick apart every little difference, but by the end of the series I was able to just enjoy the story.  With age and experience I've learned that you have to view them as two separate entities and enjoy them for what they are.  Unless, of course, the movie is so different it makes you want to throw things.  (I'm looking at you, My Sister's Keeper, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and The Count of Monte Cristo.)

There are several movies that I'm really looking forward to, though some haven't started filming yet: The Maze Runner, The Giver, The Book Thief, Divergent, Catching Fire.

As an avid reader and teacher, I do have a piece of advice: read the book first.  I had numerous students this year try to pass off having watched The Hunger Games as having read The Hunger Games.  It's not the same and I can always tell.  The interesting thing is that students who did read the books were surprised by how much they enjoyed them and how much the movie left out.  The problem isn't that you won't enjoy the book if you see the movie first, it is that many people don't want to read the book after they've seen the movie.  Reluctant readers especially aren't highly motivated to invest their time in a story they think they already know.  Of course, there are those who are motivated by the movie to read, but in my experience the other option is more common.  It drove me crazy when students wanted to jump from The Hunger Games movie to the Catching Fire book.  I wanted to shout, "You missed so much!"

I hope that my students who see these movies are motivated to read the book, but I would rather they read the book and then enjoy the movie.

2012-2013 Reading List Part 3

This Dark Endeavor & Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

Most people have to read Frankenstein in high school, and if they didn't they have probably seen at least one film adaptation of the story.  Kenneth Oppel takes the character of Victor Frankenstein and creates a history that looks to give the reader understanding of how his journey leads to the eventual creation of his monster.  This Dark Endeavor introduces the series and the Frankenstein family.  Throughout the story Victor is searching for a cure for his twin brother’s potentially fatal illness.  It has a little bit of everything in the story, and the dynamic between Victor, his brother, and his friends adds depth to the adventure.

The series is written with young adults in mind, and mixes genres in a way that I love.  There is a definite blend of the historical fiction genre with fantasy and science fiction elements.  I used this book in my classroom and my students enjoyed it as much as I did.  I liked that Victor is a flawed character, but that he has noble intentions.  It matches my memories of the original character.  I assume the series will continue, though I can’t find anything in writing that confirms the release of book three.